![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/eurweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Depositphotos_690200266_S.jpg\")
Paul Pierce arrives at the World Premiere of Amazon Prime Video\u2019s \u2018Candy Cane Lane\u2019 held at the Regency Village Theatre on November 28, 2023, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States. \u2014 Photo by Image Press Agency\/Depositphotos<\/p>\n*During his long NBA career, Paul Pierce<\/strong> crossed paths with countless celebrities, entertainers, and public figures. Yet despite spending nearly 20 years in the spotlight, the Boston Celtics icon says only two non-athletes ever truly left him starstruck. According to Pierce, actor Denzel Washington<\/strong> and former President Barack Obama<\/strong> stand alone in that category.<\/p>\n According to Basketball Network<\/a>, Pierce shared the story during a recent appearance on the \u201cWhite Noise\u201d podcast with Derrick White. His first unforgettable encounter came at the 2002 NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Pierce recalled being stunned when Washington personally called him over from the stands.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, at my first All-Star game, Denzel was like, \u2018Hey, Pierce, come here.\u2019 I was like, \u2018You talking to me?\u2019 I took a picture with Denzel. He was courtside while I was in the layup line and I was like, \u2018Damn, that\u2019s Denzel right there.\u2019 Yeah, you know, Denzel was the top for me for actors at the time,\u201d Pierce said.<\/p>\n Pierce\u2019s second starstruck moment came years later, following the Celtics\u2019 2008 championship. Former head coach Doc Rivers arranged what players initially believed was a routine team outing at a Boston museum. Pierce said the surprise became clear once they turned a corner inside the building.<\/p>\n \u201c[In] Boston, I didn\u2019t realize we were meeting Obama and Doc had set it up. We went to the museum as a team and, we\u2019re thinking, \u2018What are we going to the museum for?\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe museum was closed off. Then we hit the corner and Obama was right there. We were like, \u2018Oh, damn.\u2019 So, we had a meet and greet with Obama in an empty museum in Boston. We all took flicks and I thought that was dope,\u201d Paul added.<\/p>\n For Pierce, even decades of fame couldn\u2019t dull the impact of meeting icons beyond basketball.<\/p>\n MORE NEWS ON\u00a0<\/b>EURWEB.COM<\/b><\/a>:\u00a0Obama Shares Favorite Films, Songs, and Books of 2025<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n![\"Highest](\"https:\/\/eurweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Highest-2-Lowest-Denzel-Washington-screenshot7a.jpg\")
Highest 2 Lowest \u2013 Denzel Washington screenshot<\/p>\n