Whether or not NBA pioneer Chuck Cooper is elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday, former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce and the longest-tenured current Celtic, Avery Bradley, believe Cooper's jersey deserves to be retired in Boston.
More than six decades after Boston made Cooper the first black player selected in the NBA draft, his possible induction into Hall of Fame has sparked discussion about the Celtics finally retiring his No. 11. The Celtics already have retired an NBA record 22 jerseys.
"Why not?" Pierce, now with the Los Angeles Clippers, told The Undefeated.