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Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce is ready to celebrate the franchise's 18th NBA championship after the team's Game 3 win over the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics are now just one win away from lifting their 18th title following a hard-fought 106-99 victory on Wednesday.
Pierce shaded the Mavericks by calling the city of Boston to get the duck boats ready for the championship parade. Duck boats are an attraction for tourists who want to see the historical sites in the city. It's also used for celebrating championships won by Boston franchises like the Patriots, Red Sox and Bruins.
"Time to gas up the duck boats," Pierce wrote on X.
Paul Pierce remained involved with the Boston Celtics after retiring from the NBA. Pierce played the majority of his career in Boston, helping the franchise win banner No. 17 back in 2008 along with Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and head coach Doc Rivers.
If the Celtics manage to pull off their 18th NBA championship, it will be their first one since 2008. They went to the NBA Finals in 2010 against the LA Lakers and 2022 against the Golden State Warriors but lost both times.
The last time Boston celebrated a championship regardless of sport was in 2018 when the Red Sox and Patriots managed to both lift the World Series and Super Bowl, respectively. With Boston being a sports town, fans surely couldn't wait to party once the Celtics win the title.
While it's still too early to celebrate, there has never been a team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win. Some teams have forced Game 7s, like the Celtics in last year's Eastern Conference finals, but they lost steam in the final game.
Paul Pierce gives his take on Jayson Tatum vs. Jaylen Brown debate
Jayson Tatum is widely considered the best player for the Boston Celtics over Jaylen Brown. The debate between the teammates escalated ahead of the 2024 NBA Finals, especially after Brown won the Larry Bird MVP trophy ahead of Tatum.
Paul Pierce recently gave his take on the matter and stated that Brown might just be the most underrated player in the league. Pierce also explained that both players don't care about the debate and only want to win the Celtics' 18th NBA championship.
"This would be vindication for him if he was to go on and not only win the championship but win Finals MVP, because in my eyes I think Jaylen Brown is probably the most underrated player in the NBA today. ... I don't even think he cares if he's the best player. These guys wanna win a championship so bad. I don't think Jayson Tatum cares. That says a lot about this team," Pierce said on Undisputed after Game 2. [H/T BasketNews]
