Pierce Shaken By Tapei Earthquake

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

      Boston Herald 

      Pierce shaken by Taipei earthquake 
      by Mark Cofman 
      Saturday, September 25, 1999
      The Taipei, Taiwan, earthquake that claimed the lives of 2,188 people and 
      injured thousands more on Monday took on greater meaning for Paul Pierce. 
      The Celtics' second-year star spent four days in the now-ravaged city a 
      month ago during a two-week tour of the Far East. 
      ``I've been following it on the news and I still can't believe it's 
      happened,'' Pierce said yesterday. ``It's devastating.
      ``You hear about hurricanes, tornadoes - disasters of all kinds happening 
      around the world - but when it happens in a place you've spent time in 
      recently, it just hits home more. It's scary.''
      Pierce and Vancouver Grizzlies' star forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim conducted 
      youth clinics and made public appearances during their trip to the Far 
      East, which was organized in conjunction with the NBA's overseas program. 
      The tour, which included stops in Korea and Tokyo, began in the Taiwan 
      capital of Taipei. Seeing news footage of that city in ruins from the 
      safety of his home has given Pierce a new appreciation for his own good 
      fortune.
      ``You never really think something that devastating is going to happen to 
      you and your family or the people you know,'' he said. ``But then 
      something like this reminds you that it could happen to anybody, anywhere.
      ``That earthquake killed so many people, and the death count keeps getting 
      higher every day. I feel terrible for those people. It's kind of hard to 
      put into words.''
      Pierce said his tour of the Far East was among the most rewarding 
      experiences of his life. And though he grew up in Inglewood, Calif., where 
      the threat of an earthquake always exists, he said it never crossed his 
      mind a natural disaster could strike while he was on a career-related 
      trip.

      Pierce can't help thinking his visit to Taipei just as easily could have 
      been scheduled for this week. Timing, in life, can be everything.
      ``It's like, I was there just a short time ago and everything was fine,'' 
      he said. ``The people were great and really made us feel at home. They 
      were so excited about our being there, too, which surprised me a little.
      ``The kids recognized us the moment we go there, and they were coming up 
      and asking for autographs. A lot of them were holding out our (basketball) 
      cards. I never knew basketball was that popular in that part of the world.
      ``I had a lot of fun on that trip, and I learned a lot about a culture 
      very different from ours. It was a great experience.''
      An experience that has a heightened significance for Pierce in the wake of 
      the city's devastation. He's been working out daily at the Celtics' 
      Healthpoint facility in Waltham in preparation for training camp. Earlier 
      this week, he visited Franciscan Children's Hospital in Boston for the 
      unveiling of a new computer laboratory.
      But the earthquake in Taipei still weighs heavily.
      In keeping up with the latest developments, Pierce said he still has 
      difficulty believing it.
      ``I'm stunned,'' he said. ``You learn you can't take anything for granted 
      in life. That earthquake killed many people, injured many others and 
      ruined a lot of lives. It's horrible to think about it. I consider myself 
      very lucky I wasn't there when it happened.''