PaulPierce.net’s Know The Truth series carries on this week with a change of gears. After looking at No. 34’s collegiate career at the University of Kansas, we look at Paul’s life off the court and how he gives back with his foundation:
The Truth Fund
Paul Pierce is best known as a clutch presence on the basketball court, a NBA champion and the 2008 Finals MVP, but off the court, The Truth is also passionate about several causes.
In 2002, Paul founded The Truth Fund, a foundation that has evolved greatly over his stay in the Association.
Just like it does today, in its early years, The Truth Fund allocated its resources to a variety of causes. One of the first causes for Paul was providing opportunities for underprivileged children.
The year the fund was founded, the NBA couldn’t help but notice No. 34’s dedication to his community be it in Boston while with the Celtics or in his hometown, Inglewood, Calif.
For his efforts through The Truth Fund, Paul was awarded the NBA Home Team Community Service Award.
Paul’s off-court relationship with the league continued when he became the national spokesperson for the NBA’s Read to Achieve program.
Throughout his career, The Truth has also hosted a wealth of other events, to help those in need, like holiday dinners for single-parent families. In 2007, he founded the Paul Pierce Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children.
While countless causes are close to Paul’s heart, one of his major focuses has been on a cause that can not only help others, but one that has kept him on the basketball court for what will be his 17th season: health and fitness.
A major part of The Truth Fund is The Truth on Health Campaign, which raises awareness and empowers people—with an emphasis on children—to establish healthy eating and exercise habits. Paul noted that the idea for The Truth on Health came to him organically while he wa making strides to change his own fitness.
In a speaking engagement at UMass Boston last year, he talked about his poor eating habits as a young player.
“Rookie Paul Pierce would probably wake up, have a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, then probably after practice, go to Burger King or something,” he said. “I could see myself doing Burger King for lunch and dinner, since I lived by myself and I didn’t know how to cook.”
As his career went along, Paul decided it was time to make a change, and it was out with the Whoppers and in with fresh green vegetables, fruits and lean meats. As he changed his diet and approach, and began living a more healthy lifestyle, he immediately saw results on the court.
“I started changing the foods I ate, I started changing the way I rested, and I saw a difference in my play. I saw a difference in my energy level,” Pierce said.
The program worked out excellently for The Truth. Now, a typical pre-game meal for Paul consists of grilled salmon, broccoli and a baked potato. And because it worked so well for him, Paul began advocating a healthier lifestyle for others. He also placed an emphasis on encouraging young kids to live and eat healthy, so they don’t have to rally back the way he did.
“I said I wanted to change something about myself, just kind of reinvent myself to be a player, to be a better person. I decided I was going to change my eating habits and the way I trained,” Paul said of The Truth on Health. “Then I was like hey, why not be an influence on other people to be healthy, eat different and live a better life.”
Reaching out to children has always been a point of emphasis for Paul in his charitable work. But specifically with his health initiative, he believes that helping youngsters establish positive habits early will transfer adulthood.
“That’s the key age where you’re going to go in one direction or another direction in your life,” Paul said of his foundation’s emphasis on kids aged 10-14. “You build habits about that age, and I think if we can influence those kids at that age to be more active in their lives, I think it will carry over into adulthood.”
It has been so far, so good on that front. The program has raised awareness and has encouraged many to pledge 60 minutes of physical activity as a part of their daily lives.
On the health front, Paul has also hosted several events that make the act of giving enjoyable while promoting physical activity, including the rebuilding of basketball courts, celebrity softball games and his “The Truth Strikes Again” bowling tournament.
The Truth Fund has also worked in conjunction with several fitness and health organizations, and while it has been a successful venture off the court for Paul, the lifestyle has also helped him to keep in top shape on the court.
“I mean, you don’t see a lot of 35-year-olds in the league today playing at a high level, and I think that’s because of the change I made in my eating habits, my rest, and the things that I’m doing on and off the court to preserve what I’m doing on the court,” Pierce said last year. “It’s made a huge difference.”
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