For NBA stars, fame is part of the game, and the world begins to see them differently. But every once in a while, even athletes find themselves star-struck. Paul Pierce felt it, too. Despite years of crossing paths with legendary names across various industries, there was one man who truly left Pierce in awe. He even named his son after the legend!

As we know, courtside seats are often the most star-studded, almost like an award show. Celebrity fans sitting courtside are often seen cheering and rooting for their teams and supporting the players. When Pierce saw one of the most renowned actors shouting his name and asking for a picture, ‘The Truth’ knew he had made it! We’re talking about Denzel Washington. It was during his All-Star game. “I turned around, and it was Denzel Washington. He was like, “Come here, I want to take a picture with you,” Pierce recollected.

He said that he was never “enamored” by any celebrity because some of the big names were always present in the games. But it was ultimately another legend from the music world who truly left the Boston Celtics star fascinated. During the Truth After Dark Family, Pierce revealed that while he had met many celebrities, the one who left the deepest impact on him was the late singer-songwriter and musician, Prince.

“That’s only one person that I ever been starstruck by and it was like Prince,” he said. Some of the biggest hits of the artist’s career include When Doves Cry, Nothing Compares 2 U, Little Red Corvette, Raspberry Beret, and more. Not just Pierce, many have often mentioned being in awe of the legend. Did you know the Celtics star even named his son after the music icon?

He named his son Prince Paul Pierce. Many believed that his son might have been named after Prince Paul. But after the tragic passing of Prince, the former NBA player took to social media to share a heartfelt tribute to the icon, sharing that his son is indeed named after the Prince. “To the man I named my son after RIP to the great Prince,” he wrote. 

The NBA legend recently even spoke about his son’s future and even mentioned the special advice he gave him.

What advice does Paul Pierce have for his son?

During Pierce’s jersey retirement ceremony, he was accompanied by his son, who sat on his lap as the former NBA player gave an interview with Doris Burke. Throughout the segment, the little one made both hilarious and impressive facial expressions that won fans’ hearts. 

Now, he is 11 years old. Pierce is already doing the future planning for his son. In a segment of KG Certified, Pierce and Kevin Garnett discussed the drastic difference in player salaries between their era and today. Both expressed amazement at the astronomical earnings current players make.

Witnessing this massive shift, Pierce revealed that he’s already encouraging his son to put in serious effort from a young age. It is to ensure that Prince, too, will have a shot at making $500 million in the league. Pierce has advised his son to start training early and begin with hitting the gym.

“I said ‘Listen dog. I know you love video games, lord. But look, Roblox ain’t gonna pay you $500 million. I know you like video games but we about to get up off our a– now,‘” the Boston Celtics legend said as he laughed. The former NBA star also predicted that league salaries will skyrocket further, especially now after the NBA has finalized its multi-billion-dollar media deal.