"We don't need everybody to like us"- Paul Pierce gets brutally honest about recent criticism following ESPN exit
With all the drama ensuing between Paul Pierce and ESPN earlier in the year, the two parties parted ways in April after videos of him with exotic dancers on his Instagram live went viral.
After attracting plenty of criticism for his actions by the media, Paul Pierce made it very clear that he felt no remorse for his actions and wasn't satisfied working as an analyst with the organization.
With recent news of his enshrinement in the NBA Hall of Fame, Pierce had this to add to his Twitter account:
"The truth is that we don't need everyone to like us; we need a few people to love us. Because what's better than being roundly liked is being fully known - an impossibility both professionally and personally if you're so busy being likable that you forget to be yourself"
Paul Pierce enjoyed a 19-year long career in the NBA playing with the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and the LA Clippers. He was a one-time NBA Champion with the Celtics.
After his professional career, he joined ESPN as an analyst as part of their shows, "The Jump" and "NBA Countdown".
Paul Pierce dissatisfied with his time in ESPN
Pierce was part of the ESPN crew, joining shortly after his retirement in 2017. In the time he spent with them, Pierce made his dissatisfaction with his role in the organization quite clear.
Upon parting ways in April, he uploaded a string of tweets the very next day indirectly referring to him ending his term with ESPN. Pierce didn't seem to show much pain after the split.
He also followed up this tweet with another one on the same day to express his view on the situation.
According to an article by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Pierce and ESPN were both unhappy with each other. He wrote:
"The relationship between Pierce and the network had become strained over the past two years. Pierce hated the travel. Network executives didn’t think he was working hard enough. The video, industry sources told Sports Illustrated, was the last straw. “I was done with them, anyway,” says Pierce between pulls of lemon mint. “It wasn’t a great fit. There’s a lot of stuff over there that you can’t say. And you have to talk about LeBron all the time.”"
While ESPN never asked for an apology regarding the video, Pierce's agent, Jeff Schwartz, suggested that he do so anyway as it could affect his votes for getting into the Hall of Fame.
This was a concern back in April and in the months going forward, Pierce refused to back down from his stance on his actions. Now, with the confirmation of his induction into the Hall of Fame, Paul Pierce prepares for his enshrinement on the 11th of September.
Paul Pierce had a great overall NBA career. Over the course of his career, he scored 26,397 points, grabbed 7,527 rebounds and 4,708 assists. A 10-time All-Star and 2008 NBA Finals MVP, Pierce can now add "NBA Hall of Famer" to his list of accolades.