Former NBA player and Boston Celtic great Paul Pierce is giving fans in Massachusetts something new to cheer about – his own brand of Cannabis products. The pot line, which includes flower, edibles, lotions and more, is dubbed “The Truth,” after Pierce’s nickname from his playing days.
Pierce is teaming up with Massachusetts-based The Hub Craft for the Cannabis line and Truth-branded products are expected to hit shelves later this year. Pierce’s own pot strain will be available in 2022.
“I’m excited to bring the brand [to Boston] first and educate people on the plant – how it can help in everyday life and also in sports and recovery,” Pierce told The Boston Globe.
Despite NBA restrictions on Cannabis consumption, Pierce acknowledges using pot during his playing days. He found it particularly effective in helping him recover from a stabbing incident that nearly claimed his life in 2000.
For Pierce, choosing Cannabis over addictive opioids was worth the risk.
“I was dealing with a lot of depression and anxiety and sleep issues … So I really leaned more on Cannabis. … I took an edible or smoked a joint just to get some sleep, and had to deal with the consequences.”
When it comes to his new line of pot products, Pierce says, “My name, my reputation is on the line and I just want … the best product out there to help who are in need.”
Pierce has had an eventful year thus far. He was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame in May, a month after losing his job as an on-air analyst at ESPN. Pierce was fired after streaming video of himself smoking a blunt and drinking while playing poker surrounded by scantily clad women.
Pierce spent 15 seasons with the Boston Celtics, during which he made 10 All-Star teams, won a championship in 2008 and was named Finals MVP. Pierce is also known for an infamous incident during those Finals when he appeared to suffer a serious injury that required him to be taken to the locker room in a wheelchair. However, he quickly returned after just over a minute of game time looking no worse for wear. The sudden return led to a slew of scatological conspiracy theories.
Eleven years later, during the 2019 NBA Finals, The Truth told the truth. It wasn’t an injury, but rather an emergency. “Something went down. I just had to go to the bathroom,” Pierce explained on the ESPN broadcast.
The Truth isn’t the only former player to launch a pot brand through The Hub Craft, as the company recently announced it’s also partnering with The Glove, Hall of Famer Gary Payton, on a new Cannabis line.