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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND

February 13, 2010

Paul Pierce

ARLINGTON, TEXAS

Q. The players said right from the beginning, Paul Pierce is talking, and he got mouth going, and you backed it, you talked the talk, and backed it.
PAUL PIERCE: You know, like I said early on, I worked on it. I really took pride on it from '02 when I came in and stunk it up. This is something I really wanted to do and really wanted to show everybody that I put on a better performance and what better way than by bringing home the trophy.

Q. When did you get the time to work on this?
PAUL PIERCE: At the practice. A lot of times like going to the gym at night, a lot of times I get there early before practice, you know, when nobody is in the gym.
I really couldn't practice -- well, because we don't have five ball racks. But the key was just getting the technique of pulling the ball off the rack and the shooting of the ball, because it's a lot different from when you get the ball from a pass and shoot it.
So that was the key, just getting the technique down, knowing which side of the rack I wanted to pull the ball from and just taking my time and getting the rhythm. And like I said, if I get hot, there's a chance I can win it.

Q. Can you talk about the support of KG and Rondo?
PAUL PIERCE: That's big. Support means everything, and we are that type of team that supports each other in anything we do, whether it's on the court or off the court. And just having KG over there yelling at me and Rondo on the sidelines. That was big for me. That gave me an extra boost of confidence.

Q. Did any of the other competitors worry you at all? Any fear?
PAUL PIERCE: They are all such great shooters. They all shoot the ball really well. Not really; my thing was trying to get in their heads on the sidelines. I was over there talking to them, playing with them and unlacing their shoelaces and throwing the ball off the rack. I was doing anything to try to get an edge, and it seemed to work.

Q. Can you explain, you were 8-for-10 with the Money Ball, any explanation for that?
PAUL PIERCE: Hey, it's just like being a fourth quarter player. When you need it, those are the biggest shots. I think I've been known to hit big shots throughout my career, and even the biggest ones when I didn't shoot the one balls really well, I really focused on really making the Money Ball. And that was something that I think carried me throughout the competition.

Q. Whose shoelaces did you untie?
PAUL PIERCE: I was playing with Stephen Curry right there in the finals and I kind of unzipped his Velcro laces for a second.
It's fine. We were over there having fun on the sideline talking and just being around the guys. That's what All-Star is all about, enjoying the camaraderie, a little bit of competition, All-Star Game, Shootout and Dunk Contest. But I really take this serious, apart from all of the fun, I really took this serious and I was glad I was able to come away with the win.

Q. Is it true that you were working on Daequan Cook the day before, and also, that's a big statement, best shooter in the NBA history --
PAUL PIERCE: I would say one of the best. I've always said this and I tell this to guys on my team. I said throughout my career, I've always been known as a pure scorer, and always said, if I just sat outside and shot threes, and just really focused on that, come off screens and spot up the three and shot six or seven threes a game, I would be probably more known for one of great shooters in the NBA history.
I take the opportunity threes, and I think I'm one of the better shooters; and I've proved that I think this year with my percentage and the way I'm shooting the ball.

Q. You seem awfully energized by this for an exhibition. Why does this mean so much to you?
PAUL PIERCE: I take pride in competition. Like I said, back in '02 when I really didn't do well in it and the way I've been practicing and shooting well this year, I was like, this is a great opportunity for me to come out here and redeem myself.
This was just -- it was all set up. It was set up and I had a chance to do it again and that's all I needed. All I needed was another chance. I didn't get invited for seven years, seven, eight years, I never get invited again and this was the opportunity where I got invited and I took advantage of it this time.

Q. Any significance in the fact that you win as a Boston Celtic and this was really the birthplace of the Three Point Contest back in 1986 when Larry Bird won it?
PAUL PIERCE: This where he won it? Oh, wow. So history -- they say history always repeats itself, and it did tonight. The stars were lined up I guess.

Q. How did your foot feel during the competition?
PAUL PIERCE: It felt good. You know, I really didn't think about it. It's getting better these last few days with rest it's really feeling good. Probably won't play too much tomorrow in the All-Star Game, get a chance to rest and get some treatment for the next couple of days until we start our road trip in Sacramento on Tuesday.

Q. Can you talk about just some of the Saturday nights you put in; you go into the gym and you're the only guy in there. A lot of guys don't understand the work you put in in the off-season, but also during the regular season.
PAUL PIERCE: I put so much work into it and that's the stuff that people don't really see. A lot of times we have a 10:00 practice and a lot of times I'm in there at 8:15 shooting, lifting weights. On game days we don't have to be to the arena until 5:00, but I get to the practice gym at 9:30 in the morning, and I put the work in.
People don't understand it's the work and preparation that you have to put in to be one of the best and to be able to accomplish what you want to accomplish on the court; and I've been able to show in my career that consistency, but that's always through the hard work.

Q. Can you just take me through what went through your mind when you were watching Stephen shoot that final round?
PAUL PIERCE: You know, he started off so good, and I was like, man, you know, the people behind were like, you don't have a chance. He made his first four out of five. Next rack, he was good; he had nine going into the center rack, and he even shot a ball, and I was like, wow, he's going to get fired. And then he got cold and missed a couple money balls.
Once he got to the last rack, I see that he had a chance to tie it, I think in the last rack, and once he missed one shot, I knew I had the game.
But he's going to be a great shooter. I mean, his dad was a great shooter and he has good mechanics and I wouldn't be surprised to see him win this competition next year or the year after.
But this year was my time (smiling).

Q. Was it unusual or strange to have to get used to shooting from a rack, because usually you lean forward when you shoot a three to kind of will it in. Was it unusual to kind of keep going?
PAUL PIERCE: That's why I worked on it. It's definitely different. Like I said, from catching a pass, you're used to catching it up here or down here. And you know, when you pull from a rack, sometimes the ball gets stuck or the balls don't come up, so you have to get used to that motion of grabbing down from the rack and shooting the ball, and that's something I worked on.
That's a whole different shot, but you've got to work on it. In 2002 when I did it, I didn't practice at all. I thought I would come out here and wing it, and obviously that didn't work.

Q. Can this weekend, hanging with the guys, can this help for the second half, you guys seemed like you needed a break after the slow ending to the first half?
PAUL PIERCE: I think it definitely could help, brush off that first half, we were disappointed -- really disappointed with the way we played, finished off the first half the season.
But we always look at the season in the three parts: You have the first half, the second half and the playoffs. So this is a chance to refresh ourselves. We have a big road trip coming up where we can get back on track and get some healthy bodies and hopefully get on the road to the playoffs.

Q. Where does this rank and rate for you in terms of winning a championship of any type?
PAUL PIERCE: It's not up there like winning a championship, but there's definitely some pride in going out there and being in the competition. And this is like one of those things where I wanted to win because of what I did in '02. And I take pride in every competition, whether it's basketball, shooting, checkers, chess, this is something that if I'm going in, I might as well try to win. It's something that's more hardware for the trophy case.

End of FastScripts

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