Paul Pierce's maturity / gang signs? (merged)

[Schupac]

I think all these comments about "maturity" are absurd.  I'm sorry, if someone gets in my face I don't think the "mature" thing to do is to adjust my necktie and walk away in a huff.  Maybe it's the safe thing to do.  But what exactly does maturity have to do with taking crap from somebody?

If someone get's in my face, I don't think it's immature of me to get right back in theirs.  If Pierce had just taken that and walked off the court I'd be upset.  Instead, I think he behaved like a man.  If you disagree that's just fine, but don't mix up maturity with pacifism or "white collar-ism" as I'd call it in this case.

[Chief]

I think all these comments about "maturity" are absurd.  I'm sorry, if someone gets in my face I don't think the "mature" thing to do is to adjust my necktie and walk away in a huff.  Maybe it's the safe thing to do.  But what exactly does maturity have to do with taking crap from somebody?

If someone get's in my face, I don't think it's immature of me to get right back in theirs.  If Pierce had just taken that and walked off the court I'd be upset.  Instead, I think he behaved like a man.  If you disagree that's just fine, but don't mix up maturity with pacifism or "white collar-ism" as I'd call it in this case.

If Paul was on the playgrounds of LA, I'd agree with you. But he is a professional basketball player playing in a NBA arena. The last thing the NBA needs is another "brawl at the palace" situation.

[Bahku]

If you look at the video of the sweep of the Texas Triangle, Paul Pierce made this same sign at the end of the game meaning that's all 3:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lReKkhHo0iA

Check out the very end.

Thanks for posting this.  This should clear up any crazy notion that Pierce was giving some kind of gang sign.  Wow, some people are trying really hard to find something negative about PP. What a shame.

I too, thank you klg05, TP. First of all, it's the exact same hand-gesture, the other was just being held up higher and sideways ... and it's extremely obvious. Secondly, it's NOT a west-coast gang sign anyway, and the fact that this is being twisted around by people not willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, is a bit disheartening. He's one of ours, people ... our captain, and while he's as prone to emotion and mistakes as the rest of us, I don't think he's stupid enough to take such gambles. Watch the two videos and compare closely ... this is a "three" sign, and that's ALL! Can we move on to something that's not negative and destructive to our captain, please?

[quidinqui33]

The fact the people think pierce, a 30 year old that just started a family and has been in the league for 10 years, would have time to join a gang is beyond ridiculous.

Pierce has never gotten into any trouble for any off court actions in the his entire career as a celt.  No gun posession, no drugs, no dwi, no domestic abuse charges, no illegitimate children (that we know of).  He was a victim during the stabbing incident from some punks just trying to make a name by starting stuff with an NBA player and that was years ago.  You would think if the guy was a gangster, he would be getting into a little more trouble, don't you?

Pierce has put everything he has into this team for the past 10 years and has had a handful of on the court issues (the pacers series probably being the only truly boneheaded one) and people on this board, and even some of the guys on the CelticStuff live staff want to jump on him for any little thing he does wrong.  I just don't get it.

It's the people on these boards that sit around and judge people all day long that need to take a long look at themselves and make a change.  Not people like Pierce who work hard, and might get caught up in the competetive moment every now and then.

[celticjames24]

Come on now, y'all blew things out of proportion. Pierce wasn't flashing a gang sign. He is basically telling the Hawks, hey you might have had a good play, but its only game three... and guess what we still are up. It's no biggie. I don't get how all of you rag on Pierce so much; who cares that he isn't the pro's pro like Allen or the nonstop emotionally leader that is KG, he is the longest tenured Celtic, the Captain, and the face of the Celtics franchise. Sure we aren't in this position without everyone else we have here, but does Ray Allen come to Boston if Pierce isn't here? NO, does KG come if Ray Allen isn't here? NO... it all comes back to Pierce. The three of them are the nucleus of this team, but Pierce is what it means to be a Celtics. End of story, stop the hating until he does something worth getting your undies in a bunch about

[Chief]

The fact the people think pierce, a 30 year old that just started a family and has been in the league for 10 years, would have time to join a gang is beyond ridiculous.

Pierce has never gotten into any trouble for any off court actions in the his entire career as a celt.  No gun posession, no drugs, no dwi, no domestic abuse charges, no illegitimate children (that we know of).  He was a victim during the stabbing incident from some punks just trying to make a name by starting stuff with an NBA player and that was years ago.  You would think if the guy was a gangster, he would be getting into a little more trouble, don't you?

Pierce has put everything he has into this team for the past 10 years and has had a handful of on the court issues (the pacers series probably being the only truly boneheaded one) and people on this board, and even some of the guys on the CelticStuff live staff want to jump on him for any little thing he does wrong.  I just don't get it.

It's the people on these boards that sit around and judge people all day long that need to take a long look at themselves and make a change.  Not people like Pierce who work hard, and might get caught up in the competetive moment every now and then.

First, who said he joined a gang? Making gang signs and joining a gang are two different things.

Second, how do you know Pierce was just minding his own business when he got stabbed? I've never believed that.

Finally, I agree Pierce works hard but he needs to control his actions on the court.

[Bahku]

The fact the people think pierce, a 30 year old that just started a family and has been in the league for 10 years, would have time to join a gang is beyond ridiculous.

Pierce has never gotten into any trouble for any off court actions in the his entire career as a celt.  No gun posession, no drugs, no dwi, no domestic abuse charges, no illegitimate children (that we know of).  He was a victim during the stabbing incident from some punks just trying to make a name by starting stuff with an NBA player and that was years ago.  You would think if the guy was a gangster, he would be getting into a little more trouble, don't you?

Pierce has put everything he has into this team for the past 10 years and has had a handful of on the court issues (the pacers series probably being the only truly boneheaded one) and people on this board, and even some of the guys on the CelticStuff live staff want to jump on him for any little thing he does wrong.  I just don't get it.

It's the people on these boards that sit around and judge people all day long that need to take a long look at themselves and make a change.  Not people like Pierce who work hard, and might get caught up in the competetive moment every now and then.

First, who said he joined a gang? Making gang signs and joining a gang are two different things.

Second, how do you know Pierce was just minding his own business when he got stabbed? I've never believed that.

Finally, I agree Pierce works hard but he needs to control his actions on the court.

It wasn't a gang sign ... it was a three. If people are going to accuse him of flashing a gang sign, then please provide proof that it is one. This is NOT a west-coast gang sign.

I have a very close associate who deals in this material, ran it by him, and he said that if it is a gang sign, it's one that he's never come across in his 18+ years of dealing with this stuff.

Again, if you're going to accuse someone, please provide proof that it is a gang sign, and that he's using it as such. Last I knew, people were innocent until proven guilty in this country ... you'd think we'd at least give such consideration to the captain of our beloved Celtics.

This is really a shame.

[quidinqui33]

The fact the people think pierce, a 30 year old that just started a family and has been in the league for 10 years, would have time to join a gang is beyond ridiculous.

Pierce has never gotten into any trouble for any off court actions in the his entire career as a celt.  No gun posession, no drugs, no dwi, no domestic abuse charges, no illegitimate children (that we know of).  He was a victim during the stabbing incident from some punks just trying to make a name by starting stuff with an NBA player and that was years ago.  You would think if the guy was a gangster, he would be getting into a little more trouble, don't you?

Pierce has put everything he has into this team for the past 10 years and has had a handful of on the court issues (the pacers series probably being the only truly boneheaded one) and people on this board, and even some of the guys on the CelticStuff live staff want to jump on him for any little thing he does wrong.  I just don't get it.

It's the people on these boards that sit around and judge people all day long that need to take a long look at themselves and make a change.  Not people like Pierce who work hard, and might get caught up in the competetive moment every now and then.

First, who said he joined a gang? Making gang signs and joining a gang are two different things.

Second, how do you know Pierce was just minding his own business when he got stabbed? I've never believed that.

Finally, I agree Pierce works hard but he needs to control his actions on the court.

It's pretty safe to assume that if you accuse someone of throwing a gang sign, you are also implying they are affiliated or are a part of the gang that the sign represents.  Otherwise, it's not a gang sign, it's just a hand gesture, which is exactly what we are dealing with in this case.

People throw up that same sign after they hit a three pointer...it means "three"...plain and simple.  Unless, hedo turkolu and dirk are in the same gang as pierce, because I have seen them throw up the same sign.  Look out!

[quidinqui33]

Yup...dirk represents the same gang pierce is on.



Chauncey too!

[Ersatz]

I nominate this as the most ridiculous thread ever. Not only because it's inherently stupid, but because of the racial politics that underlie it, that have given it impetus. A black player makes an ambigious hand gesture? Well, obviously it's a gang sign. A black player gets angry about something and expresses himself? Well, obviously it's a sign of his immaturity and thuggery. Thank God the level-headed, reasonable white guy (Scalabrine) was there to put an end to it, otherwise we would have had Watts '65 on our hands. Honestly.

[quidinqui33]

Uh oh...



Not boobie too.



I think I made my point.

[nickagneta]

The idea of seeing Dirk Nowitzki with a bloods bandana wrapped around his head threatening to pull out his gat and pop a cap in someone's ass is just hilarious.

[WillyBeamin]

if it WERE a gang sign, does anyone here think for one second that he'd be honest about it?  hardly.

well, unless josh howard and he were hangin' out together and decided to play the high version of truth or dare...

anymore baseless cheapshots at paul pierce for us Andy? it's been a few hours...

this thread is so obsurd I can't even begin to put words to it.

[crownsy]

ya, to me all this thread does is show who actually belives pierce matured over the last few years (those who are willing to give him the benifit of the doubt) from those who say they have but haven't (those who immeditly pointed out it was a gang sign, which several people in this thread and a quick wiki search prove false. If what he was doing was a puri blood sign, he did it wrong lol.)

it was clearly a "you've only got to win 3 more!" sign to me, but i like pirece. If i didn't like pierce, i would probley say it was a gang sign.

This thread is like on of those blotter tests that doctors use, only its a blotter test on how you really feel about pierce.

[WillyBeamin]

I nominate this as the most ridiculous thread ever. Not only because it's inherently stupid, but because of the racial politics that underlie it, that have given it impetus. A black player makes an ambigious hand gesture? Well, obviously it's a gang sign. A black player gets angry about something and expresses himself? Well, obviously it's a sign of his immaturity and thuggery. Thank God the level-headed, reasonable white guy (Scalabrine) was there to put an end to it, otherwise we would have had Watts '65 on our hands. Honestly.

while I don't like going to the race card all that often, you probably have a good point. No one would assume anything of this hand gesture if wally szcerbiak was making it.

Back in the 80's the celtics use to get in full-on brawls, and we have what I would assume are fans of the older celtics getting all worked up over paul pierce throwing up a "3" with his hand. larry bird once choked Dr. J, and we have fans like Andy Jick jumping down paul pierce's throat for walking in the general direction of the other team, and using a hand gesture. simply ludicrous.