Monday is an important day in the NBA, not because of the outsized schedule the league rolls out, but because of what it represents and who it is meant to honor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As part of the debut episode of Showtime’s KG Certified, Paul Pierce joined his friend and teammate Kevin Garnett to discuss the legacy of Dr. King, a man both men agree they wish they had a chance to meet. He recalled Celtics coach Doc Rivers playing the famous “I Have A Dream” speech before Boston’s MLK Day game one year, and how much it inspired him. And he noted the importance of celebrating King’s contributions in the way the NBA does, to continue to remind future generations of his impact and legacy.

“What he fought for, what he meant…I talk to my kids about this all the time, could you imagine going to a store where you couldn’t shop, where you couldn’t drink at this water fountain or you couldn’t ride on this bus because of the color of your skin? That’s what Dr. King was all about, fighting for equality,” Paul said. “It’s hard from them to resonate with that, and it’s even hard for me to resonate with that because I didn’t live in that era. I can’t imagine them saying today I couldn’t come to this gym because I’m black. Things that I consider normal, that black people couldn’t do back then. 

Watch Paul and KG discuss Dr. King below.