When Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce in Boston for the 2007-08 season, the Celtics transformed in ways no one could have imagined. Not only did they clinch the NBA Championship, but they also made a record-breaking turnaround, setting the stage for Pierce’s Hall of Fame-worthy career. But here’s the thing: Pierce’s path to greatness didn’t just start with the Big Three. It began in the early days with intense, one-on-one battles that set the tone for his career and his teammates too. And one player who capitalized on those early challenges was Tony Allen.

Out The Mud Podcast recently shared a clip on their social media in which former Celtics guard Tony Allen credited his old teammate Paul Pierce with teaching him to become an elite defender. “I stuck Paul Pierce every day in practice,” Allen revealed.

“Paul used to have this thing called. He used to call it the G-Unit runs. And when I get in here, I want to play one-on-one with everybody. I’d be so ready, amped up to come play this man one-on-one, man.”

Moreover, Allen credits Pierce for taking his defense to the next level. “Ain’t too many people in the league doing what he doing. So that helped me along the way to defend just about anybody,” Allen recalled. “Truth will tell you too, like, man, bruh got me better.”

And even Celtics legend Kevin Garnett chimed in to back Allen up. “NO LIES 💯 some of my favorite memories are the guys playing one’s 😤💯🫡,” Garnett commented on the post, hinting at those classic, unrecorded moments.

As Allen learned from the best, he became one of the best in terms of defensive prowess. In his 14 years of NBA career, he was named in the NBA All-Defensive First Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times each. He also secured a championship alongside Pierce, Garnett, and Allen in 2008. However, the most interesting part is that it was Tony Allen, who fueled Paul Pierce’s “G-Unit runs” in Boston Celtics.

Tony Allen fueled Paul Pierce’s “G-Unit runs”

During his Celtics tenure, every morning Paul Pierce would arrive early, ready to take on all comers in the infamous “G-Unit runs.” He’d call out the young big guys—Leon Powe, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis—for one-on-one matchups. “We called it the G-Unit runs because of how physical and hardcore it was,” Pierce told The Athletic. With every possession, it was an all-out war, as Big Baby and Perk threw themselves into each play with an intensity that mirrored Pierce’s relentless work ethic.

Of course, it started as a challenge. A young Tony Allen was eager to test his defensive chops against Pierce, while Kevin Garnett believed he could score on Pierce whenever he wanted. Before practice, Pierce would take them on, frustrated yet fueled by the constant taunts that he couldn’t keep up with the younger guys.

One day, Pierce had enough. As Leon Powe recalled, everyone was “talking crazy” about stopping him—Allen, KG, and the whole crew. That’s when Pierce announced, “We’re gonna have a thing called G-Unit runs.” And it became a ritual, with Pierce on the sidelines afterward, giving pointers and cheering them on.

A newfound competitiveness invigorated Pierce, who always knew of his high standards. In Boston, Pierce was always a warrior, and after a near-death experience in 2000, he became even more resilient.