Paul Pierce is a man of his word, and the Boston Celtics legend might even lose a few pounds because of it.
Pierce, like many others, was extremely confident that the Celtics would bounce back following their embarrassing collapse in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks. He was so certain that Boston would win Game 2 that he said during the FS1 show “Speak” on Wednesday that he would walk to the FS1 TV studios the following day if the Celtics were not victorious.
For a while, it looked like Pierce was safe. The Celtics then blew another 20-point lead to lose 91-90 to the Knicks and fall behind 2-0 in the series.
Believe it or not, Pierce followed through. The 10-time NBA All-Star got up bright and early on Thursday and began the trek to work, which he estimated was actually about 20 miles. He documented much of the walk on Instagram live.
Paul Pierce yesterday: “If the Celtics lose Game 2 at home, I’m walking (to work) tomorrow. 15 miles. In my robe, no shoes on, barefoot.” @paulpierce34 today: pic.twitter.com/MQqxh9ursW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 8, 2025
Pierce said he had been walking for about three hours when he was halfway to the FS1 studios. He shared a screenshot from Google Maps on Wednesday night that estimated the walk would take just over eight hours, so it seems like he was on a pretty good pace.
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) May 8, 2025
Pierce was immediately hit with the meme treatment after the Celtics choked in Game 2. He would have faced even more criticism from fans had he not followed through.
The Celtics are now down 2-0 after failing to close out both games at home. We wouldn’t expect Pierce to make any guarantees about Game 3 in New York, unless of course he enjoyed his Thursday workout.
