Tears of a champion

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

In the end, it was all just too much for Paul Pierce.

Yeah, he played it cool after finally winning a ring in his 10th year in the league. He partied in Vegas. He smoked cigars on the duck boats. From the moment the confetti started falling from the rafters in June to the moment he stepped out of the locker room last night, Paul Pierce was exuberant, but also chill, about finally being a champion.

Then came the ring ceremony.

A gaggle of Hall of Famers ushered the 17th championship trophy onto the court. Some of the best players the game had to offer had taken the floor under the 16 banners they had collectively won. They handed Pierce the hardware, but they might as well have handed him a key with an inscription that read, "Welcome to the club, Paul. You're one of us now."

How could you not cry after that?

How could you not cry when the fans that have supported through it all were cheering louder than ever? How could you not cry when you handed your championship ring to your mom?

And when Paul Pierce cried those tears of joy (and maybe a little relief), he also showed his younger teammates a little something about being a Celtic.

Being a Celtic is different. It IS about trying to be a member of "the club." It IS about pouring your heart and soul into a kids game, whether you make the league minimum or $17 million a year. It IS about showing the fans you care about what you're doing as much as we care about what you're doing.

It's more than just the 27 points he scored last night to help the team beat the Cavaliers. It's about truly being invested in the win. A lot of guys have the talent to score 27 points on any given night in the NBA.