Pierce’s Celtics jersey retirement

First off, let’s make one thing clear: Paul Pierce deserves to have his jersey raised to the TD Garden rafters next month. He toiled in 1,009 regular-season and 136 playoff games for the Celtics, all of which featured him as a vital cog. Not all of the years he spent with the green and white were good; they had early vacations in his first three, middle two, and last. On the other hand, he went full throttle through all the ups and downs, and his status as a 10-time All- Star and 2008 Finals Most Valuable Player underscored his importance to the cause. And for good measure, he gifted the franchise by being part of the 2013 trade that robbed the Nets blind and ensured its competitiveness in the medium term.

That said, Pierce is being egocentric when he insists that the day should belong to him and him alone. To begin with, his retirement ceremony will be done postgame, which means an entire match between the Cavaliers and the Celtics will already have occurred before he takes to the stage. By his reckoning, videos of his exploits should be played constantly during lulls in the set-to, not unlike the way the Lakers paid tribute to Kobe Bryant when the latter’s two jerseys were honored late last year.

And this is where the problem lies. The Celtics had planned to recognize Isaiah Thomas’ contributions with a short clip on that day, only to be told that Pierce was against it. Per his contention, the two-minute video would detract from his experience. He added that just about everybody who is anybody agreed with him. And so the other tribute, however brief, was scuttled. Which is just too bad, because his insistence on monopolizing the day tarnishes his place among the greats more than any other sideshow would have.

True, Thomas could have been given his tribute last month, when he returned to the Garden for the first time since being traded to the Cavaliers. Upon his request, though, the recognition was postponed to Feb. 11, when the Cavaliers would visit next, and when — most importantly — he would be able to suit up and give proper thanks in return while in front of his family. It was a reasonable ask, especially from a warrior who burned rubber while injured, and even while ailing from a death in the family.

Pierce would have none of it. He said general manager Danny Ainge was “punked” into accepting the change of date, to his detriment. And what was Thomas’ body of work compared to his? In other words, he resorted to a tactic the stubborn fall back on in the absence of reason: attack the other side, period. Clearly, he forgot that he’s simply a recipient of goodwill from the Celtics, and that his standing as a valued member of the community gains luster or is eroded depending on how he responds to the acknowledgment. Demanding how he is honored? Very unlike those that came before him; Bill Russell, for instance, continues to be generous with his time, whether among former teammates, friends, rivals, or relative nobodies.

So Pierce will get what he wants. Thomas has backed down, and the Celtics will proceed with the jersey retirement ceremony as planned. Okay, maybe not as planned, but certainly to the honoree’s liking. Which is well and good for long-time fans. For casual observers, however, all his actions have done is taint his memory. For those from the outside looking in, the time when he whined because he wasn’t about to be indulged will be remembered as much as any of his highlight reels.

So Pierce will get what he wants. Thomas has backed down, and the Celtics will proceed with the jersey retirement ceremony as planned. Okay, maybe not as planned, but certainly to the honoree’s liking. Which is well and good for long-time fans. For casual observers, however, all his actions have done is taint his memory. For those from the outside looking in, the time when he whined because he wasn’t about to be indulged will be remembered as much as any of his highlight reels.