COMMENTARY
The Paul Pierce number retirement Sunday was as special as any Celtics fan could have wanted. Pierce was the picture of gratitude and happiness, cherishing the moment and its magnitude. But you and I knew the truth about the The Truth: The fans were the truly fortunate ones, watching him grow into the quintessence of everything we want a Boston athlete to be: tough, bold, clutch, appreciative, and ultimately a deserving champion.
It was enough to almost — almost — make you forget the debacle of a basketball game that was the prelude to the ceremony.