It has been some time now since Paul Pierce officially announced his decision to move on from the Wizards to join the Clippers for the upcoming season, which has given all fans some time to reflect. Anybody out there who has not yet let go of The Truth, it’s time to move on and face the future rather than the past.
I can still remember the notification that came to my phone saying Pierce had chosen to sign with Washington. I was in the car parked while taking a lesson as a part of Drivers Ed to fulfill the requirements needed to obtain a driver’s license.
As soon as my instructor came back into the car, I told him the news, he seemed almost surprised as I was. There is no better way to spend two hours in the car driving with a total stranger than talking to them about how stunned this move was, especially with no indication something like this would ever happen.
Paul Pierce was a Wizard? I still can’t believe he spent a season in DC. It’s weird to say.
After one season in the red, white, and blue, Pierce already seemed like he had spent his entire career with the city that fell in love with him. It was almost like he had been with the team since he was drafted, and he could be going after one last ring to seal his fate. We all know that’s not the case.
The excitement in Washington because of Pierce in the postseason was more than most players can bring to a city for their entire careers. Countless clutch shots and endless huge performances rocked the Verizon Center, a building whose environment wants a championship immediately.
Nobody will ever forget when Pierce called game, the trash talking to both the Raptors and Hawks, or any of the quotes said along the way. Those moments will live on forever, or at least until something even close to the same caliber can be done.
But, nobody will ever forget the last shot taken by Pierce with the Wizards. As the clock expired just moments before he released his shot that fell, his time in Washington also came to an end.
Even with all of the memories and moments that happened in his one season with the Wizards, the pain of the referees calling off the last shot will never leave the thoughts of every DC sports fanatic.
With all the Wizards were doing, it seemed everything was going their way and it was their destiny to go further into the playoffs. They were bound to do bigger and better things, but a red light behind the backboard and a horn took that all away from them.
There is so much regret that comes with the ending to Pierce’s era in Washington, but it shouldn’t be looked at as a failure. The city of Washington was blessed with the opportunity to watch an all-time great play with their team, even if it was just for one short season.
Another contender may have Pierce on their side now, but there’s no way for Wizards fans to be able to root against him or be upset he chose another path. So much changed in Washington’s culture once he was able to show a young team how to win and how to expect to be champions.
Wizards fans truly wish Pierce the best of luck in the upcoming season with Los Angeles, unless they end up playing Washington in the NBA Finals. That would be one great storyline, but at least The Truth wouldn’t be able to trash DC like he could against some other foes.
