Paul Pierce is actually doing it: he’s walking 20 miles to work in a robe and barefoot after the Boston Celtics’ heartbreaking Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks. The former Celtics star and current FS1 analyst made a bold promise on live TV, vowing to take on this grueling trek if his old team fell in their playoff matchup. Now, with Boston down 0-2, Pierce is stepping up to keep his word, turning a wild bet into a spectacle that’s got NBA fans buzzing.
On May 7, 2025, during FS1’s Speak, Paul Pierce laid it all out: if the Celtics lost Game 2 at home, he’d walk to the studio the next day, dressed only in a robe and without shoes. The Celtics, who led by 20 points, collapsed in stunning fashion, falling 91-90 to the Knicks in a game that saw Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges spark a 23-6 fourth-quarter run. The loss, one of the worst playoff blown leads in Celtics history, triggered Pierce’s promise, and now he’s making good on it.
The journey isn’t a short one. Pierce is walking 20.2 miles from his home in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, to the FS1 studios in Century City. Originally, he mentioned 15 miles, but mapping tools corrected the distance, making this an even tougher challenge. Walking barefoot on city streets and sidewalks for roughly eight hours is no small feat, especially in just a robe. Pierce even shared a map of the route on X, complete with face-vomiting emojis, hinting at how daunting he finds the task. In a video update, he said,
“All right, man of my word. Welcome to this journey. Here I go. Man, it’s really wild though. I can’t believe this. Something’s got me out here like this, dog.”
As of 9:07 AM PDT on May 8, 2025, there’s no final word on whether Pierce has reached the studio, but the clock is ticking. If he started early, he could be nearing the end of his trek, drawing eyes from fans and media alike. Pierce shared his progress, noting,
“I’m really walking out here like this. Man, I can’t believe it. I got a long walk today. So I got to put my shades on, everybody won’t recognize.”
He later added,
“Give y’all an update. I just passed Reseda. I’m about to take it into the mountains pretty soon. I’m already sweating though. Man, I need to take a break in a minute. This is crazy, dog.”
About an hour and a half into the walk, he estimated,
“I’m about like four miles in right now. So I think I got like another 16 miles. I’m a man of my word, though. I’ll keep y’all updated.”
This isn’t just about a bet; it’s a moment that captures the raw emotion of playoff basketball and the lengths a legend will go to stand by his word. Pierce’s frustration was clear when he said,
“Sea’s got me out here like this, dog. I’m sweating.”
The Celtics’ back-to-back 20-point blown leads have put them in a deep hole, with Games 3 and 4 looming in New York. Pierce’s walk is a dramatic subplot, amplifying the stakes for Boston’s season. Whether he finishes or not, this bold move is already cementing itself as a viral moment in the 2025 NBA playoffs. Fans are glued to their screens, waiting to see if Pierce arrives at FS1, robe flapping and feet bare, ready to talk hoops after his epic journey.
