Lakers fans and Celtics fans don't agree on much, but they'll all likely find common ground in believing that a Los Angeles Times columnist crossed the line by making jokes about the night Paul Pierce was stabbed.
In the story titled "Your guide to hating the Celtics," columnist Ted Green runs through a numbered list of reasons to despise the team in green. The rundown included a blurb on Pierce, who "flops more than a large-mouthed bass" and "acts like he's been hit by a train" whenever he shoots. Sure, that's fine … until this:
"By the way, Pierce's idea of a fun night is going clubbing and getting stabbed. Good times!"
The writer is referencing an incident from 2000, when Pierce was stabbed 11 times in the face, neck and back. Pierce also suffered injuries from being hit over the head with a bottle, and he was rushed to the hospital to have surgery on his lungs. The two men responsible for the attack were later convicted of assault and battery charges and sent to prison — one for a year, the other for seven to 10 years.
Pierce recovered quickly, playing all 82 games of the 2000-01 season, but the incident is nothing to joke about. The Times can likely expect to be flooded with e-mails from the Boston area asking for an apology, similar to the firestorm that Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan created eight years ago for his comments regarding Jason Kidd's wife.
Update: The line has been removed from the story with a note that says it should not have been published."
