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Up close with confessed Celtics hater 


He had barely slept after quietly slipping into the
country Thursday night but rising NBA superstar Paul
Pierce, during yesterday’s press luncheon at the
Diamond Hotel, graciously looked forward to his hectic
three-day schedule lined up by promoters of the Nike
3-on-3 Asian Championship Weekend. 

"Well, I’m just glad to be here and watch these kids
play," said the 6-foot-7, 220-pound Boston Celtic,
referring to the cage competitions which will bring in
the best 3-on-3 squads from Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia and the Philippines for tomorrow’s finals at
the Alabang Town Center. 

Pierce, 22, in his third year as a legitimate starter
for the Celtics, is one of the NBA players worth
watching these days. He is an excellent outside
shooter, can drive strong to the hoop and basically
create his own shot against the league’s best
defenders. 

"In the NBA guards are a lot bigger now and they can
block a lot more shots. When you play against
Shaquille O’Neal or Alonzo Mourning or Dikembe
Mutombo, you kinda hesitate to go in there all the
time. So it’s important for you to shoot those outside
shots," he said. 

A self-confessed Laker fan (he grew up in Los Angeles
area), Pierce, accompanied here by his lovely
girlfriend Rebecca Brothers, was to attend the Nike
Rave Party at Alabang last night and stage a skills
clinic with the help of PBA coach Alfrancis Chua today
at La Salle Greenhills. 

Capping his first visit to the Philippines will be his
appearance on the final day of competition where the
winning squad will earn an all-expense visit to the
Nike Inc. World Campus in Oregon, home to the Portland
Trail Blazers. He leaves Monday morning. 

Pierce, the No.10 draft in 1997, said he never thought
about landing with the Celtics, the green and white
team he hated most during its colorful – and at times
heated – rivalry with the LA Lakers back in the ’80s. 
 


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