Paul Pierce stabbing, explained: What to know about 2000 incident involving Celtics star | Sporting News

In 2000, Celtics' small forward Paul Pierce was stabbed at a nightclub.

He suffered a collapsed lung and was worried he was going to die.

Pierce was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.

He would go on to play 19 years in the NBA, but his career got off to a rough start.

Pierce himself was fine, as he averaged 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in 48 games as a rookie on his way to finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting and making the All-Rookie First-Team.

However, going into his third season, Pierce was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Here's more about the night in September of 2000 when he was stabbed at a nightclub.

SN's NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule Paul Pierce stabbing, explained Pierce was attending the former Buzz nightclub in Boston.

He was talking to a woman when an altercation developed.

We don't know all the details, but it ended with her brother hitting Pierce in the head with a bottle and stabbing him 11 times in the neck, chest, and back.

Pierce had to have lung surgery to repair all of the damage.

Here is what he said about it .

"It was a shock.

I didn't realize how badly hurt I was until after the incident, and the doctors told me what was going on, what happened to me.

I didn't realize how much my life was in danger until after it was all over with." Pierce said that an inch in either direction could have ended his life.

Three men were eventually arrested for the incident, with two being convicted after a three-week trial in 2002.

Pierce has talked about the incident numerous times in interviews , revealing not only the physical damage from the attack but also the mental effects.

He said he suffered PTSD after the incident, which led to his addiction to pain medication.

To combat this, he eventually created "The Truth CBD." He was given the nickname "The Truth" in 2001 after a great game at the then-Staples Center against the Lakers and Shaquille O'Neal.

Despite the moment in Boston that almost took his life, Pierce embraced the city .

He was with the Celtics until 2013, winning the 2008 NBA Finals.

He then spent a season apiece with the Nets and Wizards and two years with the Clippers to end his career.

Pierce considers Boston home, and the Celtics retired his jersey.

"Without a doubt, this city raised me.

Ive been through a lot.

I mean, I had almost a tragic incident where I was stabbed a number of times in this city, and it could have gone to the point where I wanted to leave.

I even thought about maybe, Im in danger here.

But it was just like, you know what, I embraced it.

I moved on from it.

They took me in as one of their own, man.

So I feel like the things that Ive been through in this city, on and off the court, from an immature kid to a grown adult, Ive spent more years in the city here than in any other city in my life.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I was born in Oakland, raised in Inglewood, and went to Kansas, so all those years were broken up.

Spent 15 years here, I can definitely say this city definitely raised me." Paul Pierce career stats Year Team Games Points Rebounds Assists 1998 Celtics 48 791 309 115 1999 Celtics 73 1,427 396 221 2000 Celtics 82 2,071 522 253 2001 Celtics 82 2,144 566 261 2002 Celtics 79 2,048 578 349 2003 Celtics 80 1,836 522 410 2004 Celtics 82 1,769 539 348 2005 Celtics 79 2,116 530 375 2006 Celtics 47 1,173 277 194 2007 Celtics 80 1,570 411 363 2008 Celtics 81 1,658 457 294 2009 Celtics 71 1,296 310 218 2010 Celtics 80 1,511 430 260 2011 Celtics 61 1,181 317 274 2012 Celtics 77 1,430 487 370 2013 Nets 75 1,010 348 178 2014 Wizards 73 868 294 144 2015 Clippers 68 417 186 71 2016 Clippers 25 81 48 10 Total 4 Teams 1,343 26,397 7,527 4,708 Per Game 4 Teams 1,343 19.7 5.6 3.5.

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