Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce had to walk 20 miles to work after losing the bet he made on national TV when his beloved team lost a heartbreaker to the New York Knicks.
Pierce was drafted by the Celtics in 1998 and played 15 years for the team, winning a championship in 2008. Now retired and an analyst on FS1’s “Speak” talk show, Pierce was ultra-confident that his Celtics would avenge their loss in game 1 in the 2nd round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs on Wednesday.
Paul Pierce loses major sports bet
In fact, Pierce was so assured that his former team would win, he made the bet on the show that if the Knicks won Game 2 over the Celtics, he’d walk the 20 miles to work. Moreover, Pierce promised to be dressed in his bathrobe and cover the distance barefoot.
“If the Celtics lose Game 2 at home, I promise you, I’m walking here tomorrow,” he said on Fox Sports 1 on Wednesday afternoon, May 7. “I’m walking here. I’m walking here. 15 miles. I’m walking here. In my robe. No shoes on. Barefeet. If the Celtics lose.”
"If the Celtics lose Game 2 at home
"I’m walking here tomorrow.
"Fifteen miles
"In my robe
"Barefoot" pic.twitter.com/Ecw9zRZ0uQ
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 8, 2025
Pierce’s Celtics lost to the Knicks, again
Welp, Pierce’s Celtics had almost the identical heartbreak in Game 2 as they had in Game 1. Once again, the Celtics blew a 20-point, second-half lead and lost the game to the Knicks at the last second, again, this time 91-90.
After being emotionally crushed in back-to-back games, Pierce recovered well enough to announce that he is a “man of my word” and said he would pay off his bet.
Making good on his bet
The next morning, Pierce filmed himself walking the 20 miles from his metro Los Angeles home to the FS1 studio on the opposite side of the vast metroplex. Pierce is a born and bred Angeleno, so he knows his way around L.A.
“This is crazy dog I can’t believe this. C’s got me out here like this. I’m sweating. So I’m about 4 miles in right now. So I think I got another 16 miles?”
— Paul Pierce https://t.co/XtCAFWofh1 pic.twitter.com/DubV1Jg6ho
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 8, 2025
For the benefit of his followers, Pierce posted a map of his walk from his home in the upscale Encino, Calif., community to the FS1 studios, about an eight-hour walk away.
“This is crazy, dog, I can’t believe this,” he said in one update. “C’s (Celtics) got me out here like this. I’m sweating. So I’m about four miles in right now. So I think I got, like, another 16 miles? I’ll keep y’all updated, I’m a man of my word.”
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) May 8, 2025
From the earliest videos that Pierce, 47, posted for his 1 million followers on his Instagram stories, the Hall of Famer started just before the break of dawn. As promised, he is clad in a t-shirt, jogging pants, a bathrobe and wore only white socks.
Still going 💀 pic.twitter.com/RFCGcqNKJj
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 8, 2025
Along the way, Pierce laughed it up with fans while taking some selfies along the busy streets. The fans gave Pierce well wishes as he continued on his long trek to FS1.
Still going 💀 pic.twitter.com/RFCGcqNKJj
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 8, 2025
