Paul Pierce passed Larry Bird for second all time on the Celtics scoring list last night with a three pointer. Pierce threw his hands in the air, saluted the screaming crowd, and began jogging back on defense. Seconds after, while the crowd was still shouting and standing, Jermaine O’Neal was called for a technical foul, briefly disrupting the special moment.
And what a selfish bonehead decision that was. While Paul Pierce, one of the greatest Celtics of all time is celebrating a career milestone, Jermaine gets in a slap fight with some guy named Thomas. Instead of a prolonged uninterrupted ovation, Pierce had to watch the Bobcats should a technical foul seconds after he pushed Larry Bird aside on the scoring list.
Not exactly the way you plan out a historic sports moment, but it’s a fitting situation for Pierce because it mirrored him perfectly. It was awkward, sloppy, dragged out, but in the end everything some how fell into place.
Jermaine needs to go. NOW