Is Paul Pierce the Greatest Baller Ever From the Los Angeles Area?
Watching the dull Hornets vs Lakers game on tape this am, an interesting question came to my mind: Has the Celtics Paul Pierce become the greatest player ever from LA?
I think so, based on his career and the competition.
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Here's a list of the 13 best ever players who grew up and went to high school in greater LA:
1) Pierce - Finals MVP for Boston in '08
2) Reggie Miller - one of the greatest scorers ever at UCLA and for the Pacers, never won a ring or a college title
3) Dennis Johnson - won three rings and one of the best combo guards in the history of basketball
4) Gail Goodrich - won a ring with the Lakers, known as an undersized 2 guard
5a) Byron Scott - won multiple rings with Magic and Co., not in the same league at the top 4 listed here
5b) Jamaal Wilkes - played for UCLA and Lakers, led orgies in the Fabulous Forum and taught Magic everything he knows about groupies
5c) Paul Westphal - an old Celtic, great player for a long time
8) Marques Johnson - A big winner at UCLA and played on some terrific Bucks teams before his Clipper sojourn
9) Reggie Theus - bad ass baller at UNLV and with a ton of NBA teams, never a big winner though
rankings to be determined...
Russell Westbrook - part of the new guard
Kevin Love - has a chance to be the best big man ever from LA
Baron Davis - what would have happened to his career if he concentrated solely on basketball, as he has a bunch of outside interests and hasn't been in great shape in a long time
13) Kevin Johnson - played in one Finals for Phoenix, didn't really guard anybody but was a terrific point guard and an amazing dunker
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Some of you may claim the UCLA centers as LA kids, but Walton was from San Diego and Kareem from New York city. None of the other guys from the Wooden dynasty had enough of an impact to be on this list, save Goodrich. John "Hot Plate" Williams, who spent two years at LSU, made a Final Four, went to the Association and looked like a great one until he put on a ton of weight, could have possibly been the best ever from LA, but it was not to be.
The only serious competition Pierce has for the title is from Reggie Miller. But Miller never won a title and only played in one Final. PP has, so far, played in two Finals and won one, with more possibly to come. And the Celtics have been really good now for four years, better than any of the Miller led Pacer teams. That cinches it.
Paul Pierce. Best ever from America's second largest city.
I think so, based on his career and the competition.
----------
Here's a list of the 13 best ever players who grew up and went to high school in greater LA:
1) Pierce - Finals MVP for Boston in '08
2) Reggie Miller - one of the greatest scorers ever at UCLA and for the Pacers, never won a ring or a college title
3) Dennis Johnson - won three rings and one of the best combo guards in the history of basketball
4) Gail Goodrich - won a ring with the Lakers, known as an undersized 2 guard
5a) Byron Scott - won multiple rings with Magic and Co., not in the same league at the top 4 listed here
5b) Jamaal Wilkes - played for UCLA and Lakers, led orgies in the Fabulous Forum and taught Magic everything he knows about groupies
5c) Paul Westphal - an old Celtic, great player for a long time
8) Marques Johnson - A big winner at UCLA and played on some terrific Bucks teams before his Clipper sojourn
9) Reggie Theus - bad ass baller at UNLV and with a ton of NBA teams, never a big winner though
rankings to be determined...
Russell Westbrook - part of the new guard
Kevin Love - has a chance to be the best big man ever from LA
Baron Davis - what would have happened to his career if he concentrated solely on basketball, as he has a bunch of outside interests and hasn't been in great shape in a long time
13) Kevin Johnson - played in one Finals for Phoenix, didn't really guard anybody but was a terrific point guard and an amazing dunker
------------
Some of you may claim the UCLA centers as LA kids, but Walton was from San Diego and Kareem from New York city. None of the other guys from the Wooden dynasty had enough of an impact to be on this list, save Goodrich. John "Hot Plate" Williams, who spent two years at LSU, made a Final Four, went to the Association and looked like a great one until he put on a ton of weight, could have possibly been the best ever from LA, but it was not to be.
The only serious competition Pierce has for the title is from Reggie Miller. But Miller never won a title and only played in one Final. PP has, so far, played in two Finals and won one, with more possibly to come. And the Celtics have been really good now for four years, better than any of the Miller led Pacer teams. That cinches it.
Paul Pierce. Best ever from America's second largest city.
posted by joe sweeney at 6:06 AM
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