Washington Wizards: Paul Pierce Owns ‘I Called Game’ Trademark

The Washington Wizards had one of their most remarkable moments when Paul Pierce “called game” against the Atlanta Hawks. Now Pierce owns the phrase

This past season was rather depressing for Washington Wizards fans, but it wasn’t depressing because the team missed the NBA Playoffs. The 2015-16 season was depressing because the season prior was filled with excitement, joy and legitimate passion.

Two seasons ago, the Wizards were considered a team on the rise – an up-and-coming, legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. They weren’t great during the regular season, finishing fifth in the standings, but became a different team once the postseason began.

Washington was able to flip the switch during the playoffs because of one player: Paul Pierce.

Pierce was added to the roster during the summer shortly after Trevor Ariza decided to join the Houston Rockets.

The Truth didn’t bring the defensive ability that Washington needed, but his star power – even at this age – is exactly what the Wizards were missing following a previous run in the playoffs.

Pierce started at small-forward for much of the season under Randy Wittman and thrived in the playoffs once he was slotted at the four.

The future Hall-of-Famer made headlines by discrediting the Toronto Raptors in the first round and helped the Washington Wizards complete a sweep.

Then in the second round, Pierce continued to play out of his mind, often becoming the go-to scorer in the clutch for the Wizards. When it mattered, Pierce knew how to deliver. And when he delivered, he knew how to make the most of the camera time.

In Game-3 against the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs, the Wizards had squandered a double-digit lead versus their bench unit.

Washington needed a heroic play from Pierce in order to avoid a disappointing upset and the legend came through.

His buzzer-beating game-winner will go down as one of the most incredible makes in the franchise’s history. Following the game-winner, Pierce spoke to ESPN’s Chris Broussard and made a statement that became an instant-classic.

As someone who’s covered the team over the past several years and watched the Washington Wizards for quite some time, I can honestly say that Pierce’s “I called game” moment was one of the greatest in the team’s recent history.

Pierce gave the Washington Wizards a sort of swagger and confidence that they desperately missed this past season.

He held the team accountable and set the example on the court. Even though he was on his way out of the league and everyone knew he would be leaving D.C., he left a long-lasting positive impression on the team’s core.

Pierce’s career will likely come to an end shortly and he wants to capitalize on what was one of the last awesome moments.

According to Darren Rovell, Pierce filed for an “I called game” trademark and will become the owner soon.

Pierce has said that he’ll make a decision on retirement in the next few weeks and has been doing some television work during the NBA Finals.

I’m not certain how much Pierce will benefit from trademarking the phrase, but he might end up using it during broadcasts if it ends up becoming a full-time gig for him.

Next: 5 Reasons Wizards Want Kevin Durant

Regardless, I’m glad the moment occurred while Paul Pierce was in a Washington Wizards uniform. The success was short-lived, but certainly something we won’t forget for quite some time.