For most of his career, Paul Pierce was better known as "The Truth." The nickname was bestowed upon him by legendary Los Angeles Lakers big man Shaquille O'Neal.

Whether you love or hate Pierce, "The Truth" is a great nickname. It's short, sweet and isn't a play off of his initials and jersey number. We have Shaquille O'Neal to thank for christening Pierce with it over a decade ago. Shaq gave his story of how "The Truth" came to be in a featured post the NBPA promoted as Pierce's career winds down.

Paul reveals it was none other than Shaquille O'Neal who gave him the moniker after a big game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center during the 2001 season.

Shaquille O'Neal called Pierce "The Truth" on March 13, 2001, after the Boston Celtics forward's 42-point performance against the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers, 64 games removed from the stabbing, and the nickname remains as applicable to his life as it is any validation of his game by a fellow Hall of Famer.