Some of this trashing of Paul Pierce and looking at IT as the messiah is kinda pathetic. If you can only see Pierce as being selfish, and IT as the “victim”...you’re probably being obtuse at this point. Pierce was being petty (I don’t fully blame him), but he should have never been in the position to even have to speak on “his day”. The Celtics made this into a spectacle and the media ran with it.
Eh, there are several folks on this blog who were lightning quick to cast Isaiah as some sort of villain and Pierce as some sort of 'victim' so that silliness works both ways.
As I said in a front-page comment, people want to make villains out of this but there really are no villains here among the main characters. Just an unfortunate schedule.
Recap: The Celtics tell Thomas that they want to do a video tribute. But as the date got near, it became apparent to Thomas that he wouldn't be able to play in that game. So what Isaiah asked for was not unreasonable: "Can we hold off until I’m actually playing in a game?"
By itself, that’s not at all unreasonable. And Danny was being totally reasonable to accommodate it.
It only became a problem because (a) the schedule, which has the next logical day for the tribute being the same day as Pierce’ number ceremony and (b) because Pierce doesn’t want to share the stage.
If the vagaries of the schedule were any different, if Pierce’s number ceremony were, say, 3 days later on the 14th against the Clippers (which would have been nice because Doc Rivers would be there), then there would be no controversy here. Or two days earlier against the Pacers (maybe Larry could be in the house) on the 9th, then again, their would have been no controversy.
But the Pierce ceremony date was scheduled months ago and so was the NBA game schedule and neither is changing. So Thomas has done the right thing and politely begged out of having a video tribute on that night.
No villains here. Just an unfortunate schedule.
And a bunch of fans projecting thoughts and intentions onto strangers in order to support their narratives.