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Even stranger, I especially like Paul Pierce. I had written him off as a spoiled superstar wannabee whose ego would be the great impediment to the Celtics winning another crown. I couldn't have been more wrong. Pierce adapted his game almost perfectly to this team, doing what needed to be done with apparently only one objective in mind - winning. He's now my favorite NBA player.

You were hardly the only fan to write off Pierce as a selfish second-tier star. Plenty of Celtics fans did the same thing following the captain's antics during Doc Rivers' first year as head coach. Pierce openly fought with Rivers, refused to follow the coach's instructions, and only played defense when he wanted to show up a proven star like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. It got so bad that Rivers started benching Pierce at the end of games. You could see the two of them scowling at one another.

In addition to Pierce's issues with Rivers, he had a knack for irritating the officials by challenging every call and whining like a little kid. Pierce struggled to control his emotions and got ejected from some big games, including a late season match-up against LeBron James where he spat at the Cleveland bench, and a Game 6 meltdown against the Indiana Pacers, where he threw Jamaal Tinsley on the ground after being grazed in the neck. This was an elimination game for the Celtics and a lot of fans wanted him traded for his untimely lack of self-control. A real captain doesn't act that way. To further complicate matters, Pierce made a fool out of himself during the post-game press conference by showing up with a neck brace even though he obviously wasn't injured or in pain.

In fairness to Pierce, this occurred in a season in which he was stabbed 11 times at a night club, just a month before training camp. Yet he played in all 82 regular season games. He didn't have sufficient time to heal emotionally from the attempted gang murder, and perhaps he took out his frustration on his teammates, the head coach, and the referees. (Fortunately, unlike Kobe Bryant, Pierce never turned against the franchise or the city of Boston. He was always complimentary of both and never demanded a trade.)

Everything changed when the Celtics acquired Garnett and Allen. Pierce went from egotistical sourpuss to consummate professional and teammate. He stopped playing 1 on 5 basketball and he deferred to Garnett and Allen. He also became a two-way player, excelling at both offense (with a more efficient shot) and defense. He became an extraordinary passer too, amassing some impressive assist totals in certain games. He also worked a lot harder. He practiced longer, took a ton of extra free throws, and really gave the proverbial 110%. He was totally self-sacrificing, completely satisfied with a low individual statistical output as long as it was best for the team. He went from a liability on defense to a top 10 defender league-wide. I can't even begin to count the number of times he willingly got run over in the lane in order to secure a charging foul. Plus, he started treating his teammates well, the coach well, and even the opposing players and referees.

Bill Simmons of ESPN elaborates on Pierce's evolution:

To Pierce for playing two really good games (Game 1 and Game 2), one stinker (Game 3), one ESPN Classic Special (Game 4) and one jaw-dropper (Game 5). He lifted himself to another level in those last two games, willing himself to the basket time and time again (shades of MJ in the '98 playoffs) and playing some of the greatest defense that has ever been played against Kobe Bryant. He also carried himself with a remarkable level of composure, refusing to get riled up by bad calls or roped into a senseless trash-talking duel with Kobe.

In Game 6 against Detroit, after Bennett Salvatore's horrendous offensive-foul call that erased a potential four-point play for Pierce, what stood out more than anything was the way Pierce handled the whole thing. As recently as three seasons ago, he would have griped about the call, made a few faces, gotten T'ed up and let the whole sequence take him out of his game. In Detroit? He shook his head in disbelief, shook it off and took out his frustrations on the Pistons. I have been watching him for 10 solid years; in my opinion, that specific moment transformed the ceiling of his career from "just another good player" to "someone good enough to be the best player on a title team."

Ever look at yourself in one of those circular makeup mirrors that women use, the ones that light up and magnify your face so you can see every crevice, whitehead, scratch and scar? That's what the NBA playoffs do. It's the circular makeup mirror for basketball players, a big enough stage that we can see every crevice, scratch and scar in their games. And for the most part, that's what you see in the playoffs, especially in the Finals -- you see everything that's wrong with each player. Sometimes, this works in reverse and the player rises to the occasion and makes you think, "Wow, I didn't realize he was that good," or "Wow, I've never seen him play like this!" That has been Pierce in the 2008 Finals. At least so far.

...But Pierce...I mean...We watched that guy grow up. We watched him become a man. We believed in him, we gave up on him, and we believed in him again. I don't mean to sound like the old man in "Pretty Woman," but part of me wanted to walk onto the court Tuesday night and just tell Pierce, "It's hard for me to say this without sounding condescending, but I'm proud of you." The guy gave us everything he had, altered his NBA tombstone, earned a place in the rafters and brought us a 17th title -- just like he promised, by the way -- and his sterling play in Games 4 and 5 ranks among the all-time greatest Celtic performances. We spend so much time complaining about sports and being disappointed that our favorite players never end up being who we wanted them to be, but in Pierce's case, he became everything we wanted him to be. When he held up the Finals MVP trophy after the game and screamed to the crowd in delight, I don't think I've ever been happier for a Boston athlete. How many guys stick with a crummy franchise for 10 solid years, then get a chance to lead that same team to a championship? Does that EVER happen in sports anymore?

ESPN Page 2 - Simmons: Notes from a good ol' fashioned Garden party

I always supported Pierce because I'm one of those old-fashioned fans who loves continuity, and likes to see an iconic player spend his entire career with the same franchise. But I definitely had my doubts about him as both a player and a person, until this most recent season. Watching Pierce this year was a true pleasure. When the championship DVD comes out, I suggest buying it and watching some of Pierce's performances. He didn't put up a lot of gaudy stats, but it was definitely his most impressive all-round season.

As Pierce said during the post-Finals celebration, "I'm not living in the shadows of the other greats now. I'm able to make my own history with my time here. This is something that I wanted to do. If I was going to be one of the best Celtics to ever play, I had to put up a banner and today we did that." (Italicized for emphasis on Pierce's positive attitude change.) "It feels so great. Just to work so hard for 10 long years being with the Boston Celtics, just going through my ups and downs. This is what makes those other moments so sweet, knowing that you were at rock bottom a year ago today and to climb all the way to the top. This is a dream come true and I'm going to cherish it forever."

France 24 | Celtics bask in record 17th NBA title | France 24