@PaulPierce34 TwitterPaul Pierce holds up his framed -- and retired -- No. 34 Inglewood High jersey.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Paul Pierce is eager to help Shaquille O'Neal catch up to Kobe Bryant.

Pierce enthusiastically endorsed the Boston Celtics' decision to sign O'Neal after Pierce's No. 34 jersey was retired at Inglewood High School on Tuesday.

Boston owner Wyc Grousbeck said the Celtics decided to pursue O'Neal after Bryant's playful remark after the Los Angeles Lakers' Game 7 victory over Boston in June in the NBA Finals. Bryant laughed about having one more championship ring than O'Neal, his former teammate with the Lakers.

"I'm not at all surprised by it, because [Grousbeck] is a competitor too," said Pierce, the 2008 Finals MVP. "Even though he's not on the court with us, when we win, he wins, and when we lose, he loses, because he feels it just as much as we do."

Pierce, a former high school McDonald's All-American who played at Kansas for three seasons, was honored by civic leaders and community members including Inglewood Mayor Daniel K. Tabor during a two-hour ceremony. Pierce grew up in Inglewood as a Lakers fan.

"This is a great day for me," Pierce said. "It's a great honor. There's only a few people that have had their jersey retired at the high school."

Layup Line

• Gone but not forgotten: Eddie House and Tony Allen paired up on what NBA dubbed the top assist of the 2010-11 season. Hop HERE to see the top 10 assists of the season.
• Speaking of TA: Decked out in his new No. 9 Grizzlies jersey, Allen makes a cameo in a new ad series for the team, this one promoting the team's improved defense. Hop HERE to watch the video.
• 'Quis checks in: Celtics guard Marquis Daniels talks with SLAM Magazine, fielding questions about the upcoming season and sets the record straight on silly internet rumors about a gang affiliation.
• Ringing endorsement: If you haven't seen Rajon Rondo's commercials for the NBA 2k11 video game, they're fantastic, especially this one right HERE.