LAWRENCE – Kansas men’s basketball great Paul Pierce is one of eight individuals to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021, the organization announced on Sunday.
The honorees will be enshrined in November 2021 in Kansas City at the 2021 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Celebration presented by Nike. The event is part of Kansas City’s Hall of Fame Weekend, which also includes the annual Hall of Fame Classic tournament.
Joining Pierce in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 is Maryland’s late Len Bias, UCLA’s David Greenwood, Bradley’s Hershey Hawkins, Ohio State’s Jim Jackson, North Carolina’s Antawn Jamison, and coaches Rick Byrd and Tom Penders.
Pierce averaged double-figure scoring in each of his three seasons at Kansas from 1995-98, leading the Jayhawks to 98 wins, three conference titles and a pair of league tournament championships. Pierce finished his career with 1,768 points, including 777 in his junior season where he was named a consensus All-American and a finalist for the Wooden Award.
After being selected 10th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1998 NBA Draft following his junior season at KU, Pierce went on to become a 10-time NBA All-Star, four-time All-NBA selection, NBA champion (2008) and NBA Finals MVP (2008). With 26,397 career points, he ranks 15th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The storied playing career of Pierce concluded when he announced his retirement from the NBA following the 2017-18 season. Affectionately known as “The Truth,” Pierce played 19 seasons in the NBA, which was the longest-tenured Jayhawk in the NBA of all-time.
As a Jayhawk, Pierce was a 1998 Consensus All-America First Team selection. In just three seasons at Kansas, Pierce ranks 10th on the KU career scoring list with 1,768 points 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 during the 2003 season.
The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is located inside The College Basketball Experience (CBE), a world-class experiential entertainment facility adjacent to Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center. The Class of 2021 will be the 16th induction class in the Hall of Fame’s history.
--kuathletics.com--