Is Paul Pierce a Kansas fan?
Yes. In his own words, Paul Pierce is a Kansas Jayhawks fan.
Paul Pierce Full fan file: every team he roots for, with receipts
“They’re going to wish they were at chapel,” Pierce said of the Crusaders.
KUsports.com, November 16, 2002.
Last checked November 5, 2026: the quote still matched the page word for word.
What has Paul Pierce said about the Kansas Jayhawks?
The earliest remark comes from November 16, 2002, when KUsports.com carried comments Paul Pierce made to the Boston Globe about his old school. Of the Crusaders, Pierce said, "They're going to wish they were at chapel." That is a player talking up his alma mater with some swagger, and it came while he was in the middle of his Boston Celtics career, after the Celtics took him 10th overall in the 1998 draft.
His Kansas connection also shows up in March 2015, when his bracket put Kansas in the mix. That date is the most recent point at which his support is documented as current, so the stretch from 1995 to 2015 is the span the record covers. The relationship is best described as alma mater pride.
Did Paul Pierce grow up a Kansas fan?
Nothing in the record says he did. Pierce was born in Oakland, California, on October 13, 1977, and went to Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California. Kansas is in Lawrence, KS, a long way from either place. The tie comes from his college years: he played at Kansas from 1995 to 1998, and the loyalty he has voiced is the kind that comes from having worn the uniform, not from childhood.
When did Paul Pierce become a Kansas fan?
The timeline starts with his arrival at Kansas in 1995. Whether he followed the Jayhawks before then is not something the record addresses, so the safe reading is that his fandom is tied to his three seasons there, which ended in 1998 when he entered the NBA.
How does this fit with the rest of his fandom?
Kansas is his college team, and it sits alongside other loyalties that carry different weight. The Los Angeles Dodgers are listed as a reported fandom, and the New England Patriots appear only as a background tie. Neither is stated in his own words in the same way the Kansas remarks are. The Kansas claim is not disputed and has not ended.
Which other athletes are Kansas fans?
No other players are listed alongside Pierce for this team, so there is no group to point to here. His case stands on his own remarks and his years in Lawrence.
Questions people ask
Is Paul Pierce a Kansas fan?
Yes. He has said so in his own words, including remarks about Kansas that KUsports.com reported in November 2002, and his support was still current as of March 2015.
What has Paul Pierce said about the Kansas Jayhawks?
In comments to the Boston Globe, reported by KUsports.com on November 16, 2002, he said of the Crusaders, "They're going to wish they were at chapel."
Did Paul Pierce grow up a Kansas fan?
Nothing in the record says so. He was born in Oakland and attended high school in Inglewood, California, and his Kansas tie comes from playing there from 1995 to 1998.
Does Paul Pierce like the Kansas Jayhawks?
Yes. His documented relationship with the team is alma mater pride, and nothing in the record suggests it has ended or is in dispute.