Paul Pierce is Already Making an Off-Court Contribution to his Los Angeles Clippers Teammates

When Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Clippers reached an agreement to sign Paul Pierce this summer, there was some debate over how much the 37-year-old (38 next week!) would be able to help on the court.  However, there was no question that the former NBA Finals MVP and LA native would bring experience, poise, and leadership to a team struggling to break through, just as he did with John Wall and the Washington Wizards last season.

The clutch shots won't hurt either.

As the internet and Clippers fan base buzzed all summer about Pierce's potential off-court contributions, there were a lot of expectations: mentorship of players like Lance Stephenson, focus to help the team avoid a repeat of last year's playoff meltdown, and toughness to get the squad through hard times intact.

What nobody talked about?  Headphones, but that's what Paul Pierce got everyone on the team for their flight to China today:

for our trip to China for NBA Global Games, i got the whole team a surprise thanks to @JBLaudio! #TeamJBL #ad pic.twitter.com/Q544OYctXh

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) October 7, 2015

Hopefully it's just the start of the off-court contributions Pierce will make as a Clipper, but for now, it's a nice way for Uncle Paul to get started.