Paul Pierce’s hike to work was no walk in the park: ‘I can’t believe I made it’
Despite feeling “exhausted,” 47-year-old Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce jogged the final few steps of a 20.2-mile, 7 1/2-hour walk to work on Thursday afternoon at Fox Studio Lot Building 101 in the Century City area of Los Angeles, California.
He shadow-boxed for several strides as the theme song from Rocky played, a dozen or so onlookers applauding the former Kansas and Boston Celtics small forward, who made good on a failed bet.
He vowed to walk from his San Fernando Valley residence to the studio set of his FS1 show “Speak” wearing a bathrobe Thursday morning if his favorite team, the Celtics, lost to the New York Knicks in Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday night.
Indeed, the Celtics blew a 20-point lead at home Wednesday, ultimately losing 91-90 and forcing Pierce to put up or shut up as the saying goes.
He awakened at 5 a.m. and did indeed complete his task in 7 hours, 30 minutes.
“I can’t believe I made it. We made it, dog,” Pierce said at the conclusion of the long hike in a video available on the “Awful Announcing” social media X account. “I’m never doing this again. I’m never making a bet like this again,” he added, smiling.
Asked by an onlooker to describe how he felt in one word, Pierce replied using several words.
“I feel like I accomplished something great, dog,” Pierce said. “That was an accomplishment at the end of the day. Not everybody has a mental capacity to do it. I got up at 5 (a.m., with his TV show on the air at 2 p.m.). I hope this can inspire my Celtics that we can get back in this series and pull this series out.”
Game Three is Saturday in New York. The defending NBA champion Celtics trail two games to none.
“My feet hurt, man. I need to go get a massage, happy feet (massage), all of that,” Pierce said.
Pierce made it to the studio in time for the start of the show, “Speak.”
He was led toward the front of the set in a wheelchair, his fellow TV show hosts (Joy Taylor and Keyshawn Johnson) waving Celtics green pom-poms.
“There he is, his legs are shot,” Taylor said.
“I made it y’all,” Pierce, who is originally from Inglewood, California, responded.
“He’s going to pop right out of this wheelchair. He’s back. Let’s give it up for Paul Pierce, a man of his word,” Taylor exclaimed.
Asked if he really walked the entire 20 miles from his home to work and did not take Uber part of the way, Pierce said: “I am the truth. No cap (lie).”
A highlight of Pierce’s long walk was former NBA teammate Kevin Garnett locating Pierce on the route and saying from his car: “You be careful out here, man.” Also Johnson after getting a haircut was able to find Pierce and give him some water.
Upon completing the walk, he told TMZ Sports: “This is real. It was a dangerous walk (on sidewalks with traffic just a few feet away) I know the landscape. I don’t regret it. I stand on 10 toes, dog.”
He added: “I still believe in the Celtics.”
Some folks on social media were impressed.
“Paul Pierce is a man of his word,” wrote the Barstool Sports X account.
The Everything Knicks X account wrote: “I can’t believe I’m saying this but respect to Paul Pierce for keeping his word. Said he would walk to work if the Knicks won Game 2 (and he did).”
The way it all started ... Pierce promised on Wednesday’s “Speak” show that he would walk from his home to the studio in his bathrobe the following day if the Celtics went down 2-0 against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“If the Celtics lose Game 2 at home, I promise you I’m walking here tomorrow … 15 miles,” Pierce said the night of the game. “In my robe, no shoes on, bare feet.”
He did wear a robe but also wore shoes for the long trek.
“Man this is really wild. I can’t believe this. Celtics got me out here like this, dog,” he said, stopping to film a video early in his route.
Pierce, who played for KU from 1996-98, said on X as he walked to work: “I’m really walking uphill like this. I got a long walk to go. I’ve got to put my shades on (so) everybody won’t recognize (me). Here we go, man. Here we go. Every hour top of the hour I’m gonna give you an update on where I’m at.”
In one update, Pierce said he’d be stopping at a gas station to purchase some much-needed water.
“I’m a man of my word,” he said as he continued to walk.
No doubt he proved that Thursday.
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 9:49 AM with the headline "Paul Pierce’s hike to work was no walk in the park: ‘I can’t believe I made it’."
