Last summer, Paul Pierce was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. This fall weekend, he took his place among the all-time best in college basketball.
For his contributions to the Kansas Jayhawks from 1995-1998, Paul was inducted on Sunday, November 21 into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
During The Truth’s three seasons in Lawrence, Kansas won 98 games while he averaged 16.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. They made the NCAA Tournament each of his three seasons with the Jayhawks and went as far as the Elite Eight, when he was a freshman.
“[Going to Kansas] was the best choice I made,” Paul said. “The fans, the people, the relationships that you build in college — growing up from a boy into a man. That’s my fondest memories.”
Though their shortest tournament run during Paul’s tenure came during his junior year, it was that season, when he averaged over 20 points per game, that launched him onto the national radar. He would forego his senior season and was selected No. 10 overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics.
“He was one of those guys that was difficult to defend,” said fellow 2021 inductee Antwan Jamison, of UNC, who played against Paul throughout their high school, college and pro careers. “His size, agility. He could score from the inside, score from the outside. He was the complete package. The nickname sticks. He’s the truth when he’s out there on the basketball court.”
In addition to Pierce and Jamison, the 2021 class included Maryland’s Len Bias, UCLA’s David Greenwood, Bradley’s Hersey Hawkins, Ohio State’s Jim Jackson, and coaches Rick Byrd and Tom Penders.
Check out some highlights from Paul’s time at Kansas University below.
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