Paul Pierce

Ask Paul Pierce, and he will tell you: When you have suffered, when you have failed, when you have known what it is to be humbled — when you endure all of that and emerge on top, triumph is all the sweeter. The journey of the 6.7″ future Hall of Fame forward, from the playgrounds of L.A. to superstardom and back again, is astounding both for its success and how it was achieved.

From his childhood through college and the NBA, Paul toiled on the court, working tirelessly on his game, never with fanfare, always with confidence. Throughout a 19-year NBA career, No. 34 was a consummate player, stalwart defender and offensive dynamo. At his peak, he famously faced up and defeated LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in the same championship playoff run.

He is an all-star, NBA champion and Finals MVP, and all the while, he has lived up to the meaning of his nickname — the Truth — by staying true to himself.

THE SHADOW OF GREATNESS

When you are raised in the shadows of the Great Western Forum, home to the Lakers until the turn of the century, basketball is in your blood.

Born on October 13, 1977, Paul Anthony Pierce spent his childhood in Inglewood, California, a Los Angeles suburb. The great Lakers teams of the 1980s captured his imagination, and basketball quickly became his first love.