With Isaiah Thomas unable to play during his first trip back to Boston on Jan. 3, the Celtics pushed back his video tribute per his request. They decided to do it during the next matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Celtics on Feb. 11, but that did not sit well with Paul Pierce who is scheduled to have his No. 34 jersey retired that same night.
"Danny tried to sell me on it, but I told him, 'He had a shot, Danny, and he punked you on it. He pretty much dictated everything,'" Pierce explained, per Jackie MacMullan and Chris Forsberg of ESPN. "They let it happen because they felt sorry how (the trade to Cleveland) went down. It's guilt. That's what it is."
Thomas spent three seasons with the Celtics, earned two All-Star appearances, and led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals last year while dealing with the tragic death of his sister. Thomas, however, was traded during the offseason in a package for Kyrie Irving, much to the ire of Isaiah and some Celtics fans. Thomas went as far as telling Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins later he may never speak to general manager Danny Ainge again.
The team is obviously trying to make things right and have since attempted to honor Thomas with a video tribute but that too has been met with controversy. After declining the first offer, Thomas has now declined the second offer, instead electing to let Pierce have the day all to himself after Paul expressed clear discontent with having to share it.
"On February 11, the night I get my jersey retired, I'm not sure I want to look up at the Jumbotron and see Isaiah highlights," Pierce said on ESPN's The Jump earlier this month. Pierce played with the Celtics for 15 seasons, earning 10 All-Star appearances and was named the 2008 NBA Finals MVP during their title win. He has repeatedly expressed his objection to the overlap since the change was made.
Ainge listened to the complaints and heeded the concerns of his former star."It was only going to be during that segment," he said, per MacMullan and Forsberg. "During the rest of the game, it was going to be all Paul Pierce. But, after listening to Paul's perspective, I understood it and shared it with Isaiah and he understood it, too."
Pierce's former teammate Rajon Rondo also expressed an issue with Thomas' video tribute, but Rondo doesn't believe Isaiah should receive a tribute at all, asking "What has he done?" Thomas will likely still receive a tribute at some point, but for now, it's unclear when.
Source: bleacherreport.com
