Do you remember how Paul Pierce got the nickname “The Truth”?

Shaquille O’Neal does. In fact, he came up with it during a game in Los Angeles over a decade ago.


In the video above, Shaq and Pierce reflect on that game and more.

“That was probably my best game of my career at that point, in the Staples Center,” Pierce recalls.

“That day he played like he was in the league nine or 10 years,” says Shaq. “He had a lot of poise, he didn’t panic, and he was doing it against the world champs.”

It was after the Lakers came back to beat the Celtics by 5 that Shaq made his lasting declaration: “Write this down. Paul Pierce is the mother---- truth. I knew the kid could play, but I didn’t know he could play like that. … Paul Pierce is the truth.”