Former KU Jayhawk Paul Pierce praises Roy Williams during college hall induction
Former University of Kansas forward Paul Pierce, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 11 in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Sunday night gained admission into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City.
Pierce was one of eight individuals enshrined as a member of the Class of 2021 in a ceremony at the College Basketball Experience.
Others who were inducted Sunday: Maryland’s Len Bias, UCLA’s David Greenwood, Bradley’s Hersey Hawkins, Ohio State’s Jim Jackson, North Carolina’s Antawn Jamison, and coaches Rick Byrd (Bemont) and Tom Penders (Houston, Texas, George Washington, Rhode Island, Fordham, Columbia, Tufts).
Bias’ mom, Dr. Lonise Bias, accepted for her son, who died on June 19, 1986.
The Class of 2021 is the hall’s 16th induction class.
Pierce was a 1998 consensus first-team All-America selection and finalist for the Wooden Award. In three seasons at Kansas, Pierce scored 1,768 points (777 as a junior) which ranks 10th on the school’s all-time scoring list. He and also ranks in the top 20 in rebounds and steals.
He was most outstanding player in both the 1997 and 1998 Big 12 Tournaments and his jersey was officially retired from KU in 2003. The Boston Celtics selected Pierce 10th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft. He played 19 seasons in the league and won an NBA title with Boston.
“As a high school kid I was an All-American. I was pretty good, pretty dominant, but it wasn’t until I got to Kansas and played under Roy Williams that I got coached,” Pierce said responding to a question from longtime basketball reporter/announcer Andy Katz in a Q and A held prior to the official induction of the eight.
NABC executive director Craig Robinson placed a gold medallion around the necks of the inductees following the Q and A at the College Basketball Experience.
“I learned discipline under him (Williams). I knew hard work but I knew very hard work under him. These are things that helped me on the next level. I didn’t even know how to play a ball screen when I got to Coach Williams. Pick and roll? I was like, ‘What do I do Coach?’ He was, ‘You’ve got to fight over it, son,’’’ Pierce related.
“(I didn’t know) how to come off a down screen and take a shot. I learned small fundamentals of the game that helped me at the next level. I’ve always been appreciative of that. I always said Roy taught me the game. I played the game but he taught me the game. People always say, ‘He (Pierce) wasn’t overly athletic, how was he able to score?’ A lot of that had to do with Roy Williams,” Pierce added Sunday.
Pierce, a 44-year-old native of Inglewood, California, said during his recruitment Williams told him: “(At KU) you will work hard and you will get an education. I said, ‘That’s good enough. I’m here.’’’
