Chauncey Billups chides Paul Pierce on-air over Isaiah Thomas tribute saga

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Isaiah Thomas finally got his TD Garden tribute video Monday night ... But should it have happened a year earlier?

While Monday marked the first time the current Denver Nuggets guard played in Boston since leaving the Celtics in 2017, Thomas did visit the Garden on February 11, 2018, while with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But the ex-C's star asked the team not to give him a tribute video then, in part because Paul Pierce, whose Celtics jersey retirement was scheduled for the same game, admitted he'd rather not see a Thomas tribute on his special day.

That leads us to Monday night, when Chauncey Billups couldn't resist chiding Pierce on ESPN's "NBA Countdown" for his role in the strange controversy.

And guess who watched (and apparently enjoyed) Billups' call-out of Pierce? Thomas, of course.

Billups' ribbing appeared to be all in good fun, but Pierce seemed a bit rattled by his co-worker's call-out. He rallied to stand his ground, though.

"I'm not gonna let y'all sit up here and double team me," Pierce added. "That's my night. If you don't like it, then oh well."

Things all worked out in the end, as Pierce and Thomas both got their deserved Boston love-fests. But the whole situation wasn't without some unnecessary drama, and Billups isn't letting Pierce forget that.

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