On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Celtics champion small forward Paul Pierce was nearly stabbed to death in a Boston nightclub 21 years ago.
The University of Kansas standout taken by the Celtics with the 10th pick of the 1998 NBA draft was poised to return for his third season in the league when he was stabbed 11 times in the face, neck and chest at the popular “Buzz Club” in the city’s Theater District. Teammate Tony Battie saved Pierce’s life, quickly rushing the Los Angeles native to a nearby hospital.
There, Pierce underwent emergency surgery that likely saved his life.