Stabbed Celtics Star Returns to Practice

W A L T H A M, Mass., Oct. 11, 2000 -- Paul Pierce bounced the ball, bent hisknees, raised his right arm and shot his free throw. Good.

He moved to the right corner, took two steps toward the baselineand shot a 15-footer. Good.

Then he dribbled to his left, stopped and flicked his hand as hesent another jumper toward the hoop. Good.

The prognosis for Pierce’s return to playing soon for the BostonCeltics is very good, considering how, just two weeks ago, he wasrecovering from surgery after being stabbed several times in aBoston nightclub.

“The wounds that hit me could have easily been one inch left orone inch to the right and I probably wouldn’t be here today,” hesaid Tuesday, wearing a hat with the words “Only The StrongSurvive” on the front.

Could Play in Season Opener

One wound was seven inches deep, and Pierce, stabbed in thechest, had lung damage and underwent surgery the day of thestabbing Sept. 25.

A week later, the Celtics began training camp without him. Butsince then, he’s worked out on a treadmill, shot baskets andparticipated in light workouts. Full-scale practices might not befar off, perhaps as soon as Friday after exhibition games theprevious two nights.

He wouldn’t rule out playing in Boston’s season opener Nov. 1 athome against Detroit.

“All the pain is mostly gone,” he said, but “I won’t know how I’m going to react until I get into practice and take a couple ofbangs from the guys.”

Pierce, who turns 23 Monday, averaged 19.5 points and was secondin the NBA in steals last season, his second in the league.

“He’s very close to coming back,” Celtics coach Rick Pitinosaid. “He looks great, feels great. He’s a little winded buteverything else, I think, is almost normal.”

Eager to Return

On Tuesday, facial cuts that were visible when he left NewEngland Medical Center three days after the stabbing had healed. Hesaid he hadn’t known the seriousness of his condition until he hadundergone surgery and already was getting better.

“What’s up?” Pierce said with a smile as he spoke withreporters for the first time since a brief meeting upon his releasefrom the hospital.

He wouldn’t discuss happened in the nightclub after which threemen were arrested but said that as a public figure who might evokejealousy, he might have to be more careful. The nightclub where hewas stabbed is in the theater district, a relatively safe place atnight.

“I’m just kind of anxious to get back on the court, tired ofwatching practice,” Pierce said. “I’m not going to force myselfback any faster than I have to.”

His physical recovery has been swift and he doesn’t thinkovercoming the mental trauma will be tough.

“I grew up in Inglewood, Calif., and I’ve seen some of theworst things happen, even though they never happened to me,”Pierce said. “I’ve had close friends die. I’ve had family membersdie. … I think a situation like this will be easy for me to putbehind.”

Pitino doesn’t plan to rush Pierce.

“He’s just about ready to do anything right now. He’s a quickhealer, but we’re being overly cautious,” Pitino said.

Pierce knows he also must be cautious when he goes out, perhapshiring security personnel to protect him. But he doesn’tsecond-guess his decision to go to the nightclub where he wasstabbed.

“You can’t really do that,” he said. “If you always look back and say ‘I wish, I wish, I wish I didn’t do this,’ then what kind of life are you living? Things happen for a reason. It’sunfortunate that it did and I just have to live with it.

“I’m just trying to put it behind me and focus on basketball,”he added. “That’s what I came to Boston to do and that’s what Iwant to do.”