Well worth Paul’s wait Truth prevails: Celtics captain Paul Pierce hoists his NBA Finals MVP trophy during the team’s championship parade yesterday. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Paul Pierce was the picture of joy as he made his way through the streets of Boston in the Celtics [team stats] parade. He was a monument to faith and simply sticking it out through difficult times as he smiled and waved while holding his Finals MVP trophy aloft. One year after he was facing the possibility of leaving town - and figuring that’s what the Celts wanted, too - Pierce was looking into the eyes of an appreciative public. Had he left and won a championship elsewhere this season, Pierce would have been happy at that parade, too. But not as satisfied as he was yesterday. Before leaving for the Duck Boats, he thanked those gathered at a makeshift Garden rally for their support through the tough times. This is how he had always hoped - but had begun to doubt - it would be. When Pierce thought of asking out, it went against things he had learned from a young age. Before his sophomore year of high school, he thought of moving on for a chance to play. But his brother convinced him to stick it out. Soon he was a star and on his way to Kansas and the NBA. Tuesday, as he wound down after the Finals clincher over the Lakers, Pierce looked back on some difficult days in Green and how they had served to add to his present pleasure. “It feels so great, man,” he said. “Just to work so hard and for 10 long years being with the Boston Celtics, just going through my ups and downs, Danny (Ainge), Doc (Rivers), ownership, guys sticking with me through tough times. . . . This is what makes those other moments so sweet, knowing that you were at rock bottom a year ago today and to climb all the way to the top. This is a dream come true, and I’m going to cherish this forever.” There was a lot to cherish yesterday, with an adoring crowd and a perfect June day. The only interruptions in the blue sky were the bursts of green and white confetti and a few clouds (puffs of smoke from Red’s cigar is what Boston radio legend Paul “Tank” Sferruzza called them). Pierce loved when Auerbach would come around and the smell of the stogie would announce his presence. He loved the idea of being a Celtic, but it didn’t always love him back. During the year, when talking about the delightful differences, Rivers and Ainge never failed to add how nice it was to see Pierce getting his rewards. The captain’s agent had helped see him through the trouble and had a similar take. “I’m thrilled for Paul,” Jeff Schwartz said. “He’s put 10 years of hard work in to get to this point. And when you add in that he’s playing on the team he’s been on his whole career, I don’t think it gets any better than this. “It is such an honor to be able to stay on one team, and then to have this opportunity on the Celtics, I’m just thrilled for him.” It wasn’t always easy. Being the star on a bad team can be an empty feeling for a player who is there to win - not just reap individual honors. “I think it’s hard for a player that’s as competitive as Paul to not play in the playoffs,” Schwartz said. “He’s always loved being a Celtic. He’s always loved being in Boston. The tough part was watching other guys in the playoffs. For anyone in any walk of life that’s very competitive, it’s always hard to watch people doing something that you’d like to be doing.” Since Tuesday, Pierce has talked about the extra benefit of winning with a franchise so steeped in tradition. It’s something he never kept to himself. “Paul was drafted by the Celtics, and I think that, no matter what was going on, there was always a part of him that wanted to finish his career here,” Schwartz said. “I think as an athlete your legacy is always important. And Boston has always had such great historical sports figures that, if you can be one of those guys, that’s very special. I think if someday he does have his number retired here, I think that will be a huge thing in his life.” Perhaps no larger, however, than earning your way there through perseverance. It may be a little silly to try to quantify happiness, but while Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were smiling broadly yesterday, there was maybe a little more behind Pierce’s grin. He stayed and played, and it paid. “I think when people see the grass being greener other places, it doesn’t always turn out to be that way,” Schwartz said. “Having the patience and sticking with it is sometimes the best way to go.” Things couldn’t have gotten much greener than the clothing of the crowd on the streets of Boston yesterday.</div>
It's gotta be the most satisfying thing, knowing that it was you that stuck with the team through thick and thin and now finally being able to finally get to the "mountaintop."
