Hall of Fame Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce very nearly was not one after being stabbed several times by multiple assailants early in his NBA career. The Truth only survived the incident because of the quick thinking of teammate Tony Battie to get Pierce to a hospital. But even as Pierce the player quickly healed physically to return to the court and play all 82 games for Boston that season, the mental scars lingered.
Pierce recently opened up to Golden State Warriors big man and eponymous podcast host Draymond Green about the life-altering incident on a recent episode of his self-titled podcast, sharing just how much it affected his daily life even years afterward.
“Truthfully, when I look back at it, I think God, I’m a True Believer in God, he knows what your time is, and it wasn’t my time,” said Pierce.