Paul Pierce knows everything about the storied Lakers-Celtics rivalry of the 1980s: growing up in Inglewood near the Forum, his dreams were gold and purple. "As a kid, I hated the Celtics," says the Boston forward. But childhood memories won't cause him to hold back as his team heads to the NBA Finals, the New York Times reports.
Pierce has never reached the finals before, nor have veteran teammates Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. But together the Big Three have changed history already: bringing Boston back from a 24-win season and ignoring their individual stats in favor of building the league's second-best defense. Says Pierce, "I could write a whole book on my emotions right now." (More Los Angeles Lakers stories.)