Pierce was selected with the 10th overall pick in 1998 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, a team he despised growing up. A starter from the get-go, he scored 19 or more points in 10 of his first 11 contests, and was on his way to being one of the best young players in the game. For the year, he averaged 16.5 points and finished third in the voting for Rookie of the Year honors. In his second season, he raised his scoring average to 19.5 points per game, and was turning into one of the elite offensive players in the NBA. By his third season in the league, Pierce was ready for a breakout year. In the 2000–01 season, Pierce appeared in 82 games (all starts), averaging 25.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.68 steals in 38.0 minutes. He led the Celtics and finished eighth in the league in points per game, fourth in total points (2,071). He was named NBA Player of the Month for March 2001 after averaging 30.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.60 steals for the month.