Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce has done a good job of being a brash provocateur uduring the 2010 NBA Playoffs. After the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Pierce insinuated that the Celtics would sweep the Magic by Twitting “Anybody got a BROOM!” Pierce later retracted his Twitter statement by claiming that someone hacked into his Twitter account.
But Pierce made another bold prediction shortly after the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. During the final seconds of the game, Pierce yelled, “We ain’t coming back to L.A.” at several fans who sat near the baseline.
Every player in the NBA should have enough confidence to believe that their team is capable of winning every time they step onto the court. But cocky statements are only as good as the actions that follow them.
Will Pierce benefit from his naked display of confidence, or will his comments backfire and ignite a seething Kobe Bryant? –a.r.
