Connection - Paul Pierce's hatred of pull-ups & the next Celtics Championship


Paul Pierce kept in great shape when he played for the Celtics, but he made it very clear that he hated doing pull-ups. What does that have to do with the next Celtics Championship? Quite a bit.


Even Kobe Bryant wanted information on Paul's workouts. Kobe wanted to remain effective on the court for the Lakers as long as possible, much like Pierce was able to do. So how much did The Truth dislike what many consider to be the toughest single exercise (per Wall Street Journal's Jen Murphy):

Paul Pierce's Least Favorite Exercise
"I can't stand pull-ups. I hate doing them. No matter how fit I am, it hurts every time."

I agree totally. Pull-ups are tough, and I have to work like hell to gain one more rep. The fact that Paul despises them - but still does them shows mental discipline. That is what this is all about.

When I train clients, I teach them that you can not flex your little finger without your brain initiating the action. During the workout, I harass them with my , "Don't let your mind quit before your muscles" - meaning, "You have another couple of reps in you. Don't quit now."


Pierce wasn't just in great physical shape - he had tremendous mental strength. He played for all those years with a weak supporting cast, and at times it must have seemed like a lost cause. I am sure he thought of moving on from Boston. He would get beat up driving to the hoop while Antoine Walker casually hoisted one 3-pointer after another. He got stabbed many times in a knife attack - survived - and never missed a game when the season started.

He only has one Championship ring, but he came close another time or two. He is a prime example of an NBA player with the right mental focus and the necessary physical strength and stamina to get the job done - the end-result being the raising of the 2008 NBA Championship trophy at the end of the season.

Danny Ainge goes for the players that combine talent, high character, common sense, intelligence and mental discipline. This 2018-19 Celtics team has a bunch of those guys. In my recent interview, Sam Jones told me that Red Auerbach's practices were tough, and if you were able to get through them, everything else seemed easy. Those practices were both physically and mentally tough. But Sam won 10 Title rings alongside Bill Russell. Train the mind - train the body - win a Championship. This year's Celtics team can do it!

Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

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