Champion Creed
Chapter 627 - 627 222 I'm not afraid of failure not in the slightest asking for monthly votes!

627: 222: I’m not afraid of failure, not in the slightest (asking for monthly votes!) 627: 222: I’m not afraid of failure, not in the slightest (asking for monthly votes!) Paul Pierce opened his mouth wide, and it took about five seconds before he closed it.

Then he embraced his family, went up on stage, managed a strained smile, accepted the Hawks’ hat, and put it on quite carelessly, showing no trace of excitement.

Pierce’s casual demeanor prompted TNT draft commentator Ernie Johnson to joke, “Paul has that relaxed demeanor specific to old Europeans, but as far as I know he doesn’t have Kobe’s European background; he’s a genuine Californian guy.”

Doug Collins, sitting beside him, smiled and said nothing.

Indeed, the relaxation of old Europeans is palpable, right down to their relaxed sphincter muscles—if you’ve been there, you’d know.

Pierce wasn’t casual; he just genuinely couldn’t get excited.

At that moment, he wished he could experience a trade like Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter did.

But it didn’t happen.

He was really going to play in Atlanta.

Paul Pierce indeed had no reason to be happy.

For most players, entering the NBA means joining the ranks of millionaires, a recognition of their abilities.

Regardless of draft position, whether in the first or second round, simply being chosen is a cause for joy for most players.

But for a select few, entering the NBA is only their most fundamental need; what they seek is a higher draft position.

The draft position is the first calling card for those talented players entering the league.

It represents your status, as well as how much resources and time a team is willing to invest in you.

Paul Pierce was one of those few players.

Before the draft began, Wizards scout Trevor Ariza was the person Pierce hated the most because he said Pierce was expected to be picked fifth.

The reason Pierce despised him?

He thought this idiot ranked him too low!

Most other scouts believed that Pierce, the top NCAA small forward who already possessed a complete offensive skill set, would not fall out of the top three in the draft.

Yet everyone saw what happened: Pierce was chosen eighth.

And his college teammate Raef LaFrentz was picked third—while at Kansas, Pierce always believed he was better than LaFrentz, the true number one core of the team.

Moreover, Pierce was a junior and LaFrentz a senior.

Whether in terms of potential or readiness to play, Pierce always considered himself more advantageous than LaFrentz.

Yet he was drafted so much lower than LaFrentz.

Before the draft, Pierce even comforted LaFrentz, saying, “Buddy, don’t be nervous.

Although your position won’t be as high as mine, you won’t fall out of the top ten.”

But now…

Pierce felt he had lost face!

The first seven teams didn’t choose Pierce, mostly because they felt his athletic ability was too mediocre.

He didn’t have Vince Carter’s exaggerated leaping ability, nor a powerful first step.

Could an NCAA skill player survive in the NBA?

Or rather, reach the heights of NCAA-level performance?

This was the concern for most teams.

Just look at the Larry Birds of the NCAA and how they struggled after entering the NBA.

Although Pierce’s athleticism wasn’t quite on par with Bird’s heirs, it definitely wasn’t top-tier either.

And Pierce’s style of play was too boring; even the most loyal Kansas fans couldn’t say, “Paul Pierce’s games are very exciting to watch.”

The Celtics scout commented: “Paul Pierce has a bit of Kiki VanDeWeghe and a bit of Alex English.

He scores so quickly, so efficiently, but just watching the game you would think he plays average.”

Yahoo Sports writer Bill Simmons’s comment on Pierce was even more straightforward: “Watching Paul play is like watching your wife of twenty years wear lingerie.

It’s not that it’s bad, but it really lacks passion.”

If you were managing the Toronto Raptors and your team needed a star to stimulate the fanbase, would you choose, “I don’t care about those lost games; just watching him play every night is worth the ticket price,” Carter, or, “This guy plays like a 35-year-old shorter version of Duncan,” Pierce?

So, it’s understandable that Pierce fell to eighth.

In fact, without the Hawks, Pierce could have fallen even two spots more.

The eighth spot was the limit for the Hawks, not the limit Pierce could pull.

The huge disparity in draft position was already very upsetting to Pierce.

What was even harder for him to accept was that he was going to be on the same team as Roger!

Paul Pierce could never forget that spring, when Roger beat him up so badly.

That vicious mouth and actions more toxic than the mouth itself had turned him from a Roger-hater to a superficial Roger-fan.

He had thought his bad karma with Roger was over, but now he had become teammates with Roger…

Pierce didn’t dare to imagine how wonderful the future training days would be.

Right, wasn’t there a damn reporter who once asked what would happen if he became teammates with Roger?

At the time, Pierce answered decisively, “Absolutely impossible!”

Ha, how hasty.

Pierce didn’t want to be teammates with Roger, nor did he want to play for the Hawks.

No rookie wants to go to a championship team because it means that your playing time will definitely be squeezed by those older players with more experience and stronger immediate combat capabilities.

It means the team won’t spend much patience and time to cultivate you.