NBA Champion Paul Pierce sets down Madison Square Garden performance as criteria for Hall of Fame

Paul Pierce considers the Madison Square Garden as one of the toughest venues to play basketball in.

NBA Champion Paul Pierce sets down Madison Square Garden performance as criteria for Hall of Fame

Paul Pierce

Every season, more than 500 basketball players are trying to make their name in the NBA. Only a handful among them end up getting All-Star and All-NBA nods. After they retire only a handful among that lot see their names in the Hall of Fame ballots. But Paul Pierce, who is a part of the legendary group, insists that to get into the exclusive club, one has to do something specific at the home of the New York Knicks, the Madison Square Garden.

‘The Truth’ as he is known in NBA circles was talking about the Hall of Fame on his podcast, The Truth Lounge hosted by All the Smoke Productions. He laid down the requisite for every player aspiring to wear a yellow jacket.

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If you want your respect around the league, you gotta kill in Madison Square Garden. Cuz Madison Square Garden is one of the Meccas of basketball, period. You got hoop heads, you got celebrities, you got real fans in there. So, if you want respect around the whole East coast, you gotta ball out in New York. They need to change the criteria of the Hall of Fame. If you ain't get 40 in the Garden, you can't get Hall of Fame.
Paul Pierce said

Pierce knows how hard it is to drop 40 points or more at the Garden. Especially considering how hostile Knicks fans can get.

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If one is able to drown out the noise and score 40 points or more, then it shows that the player is legendary. This is why Paul Pierce wants the 40-point mark for an opposing player to be the standard for consideration into the Hall of Fame.

The Madison Square Garden is the Mecca of basketball. Usually, opposing teams find the environment daunting. But even then, some find a way to silence them.

Paul Pierce had multiple 40-point games at the Garden

Paul Pierce had an illustrious career. Over the years he has embarrassed several opponents in their own arenas. But for him, being one step up over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden is something that he relishes. He has 2 games with more than 40 points during his career. Then a couple when he was a point or two from meeting the 40 mark.

All those games came while playing for the Boston Celtics. One was towards the earlier part of his career. A time when he just established himself as an All-Star. Then the 2nd 40-point game was towards the end of his Boston Celtics career, suggesting that he played lights out when he was the lone star and also as part of the championship-winning team.

Paul Pierce knows that those games did help in establishing him as one of the premier stars of the NBA. Which ultimately culminated in a Hall of Fame jacket.

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