Former Kansas University basketball player Paul Pierce had empathy for the victims of the earthquake that claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people in Taipei, Taiwan.
Pierce, a second-year player with the Boston Celtics, spent four days in Taipei last month during a two-week tour of the Far East.
"It's devastating," Pierce told the Boston Herald. "You hear about hurricanes, tornadoes -- disasters of all kinds happening around the world -- but when it happens in a place you've spent time in recently, it just hits home more. It's scary.''
Pierce and Vancouver Grizzlies forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim conducted youth clinics and made public appearances during their trip to the Far East, organized in conjunction with the NBA's overseas program.
The tour, which included stops in Korea and Tokyo, began in the Taiwan capital of Taipei.
"You never really think something that devastating is going to happen to you and your family or the people you know," Pierce told the Herald. "But then something like this reminds you that it could happen to anybody, anywhere."
Pierce, who grew up in earthquake-ridden Los Angeles, said he still has difficulty believing it.
"I'm stunned,'' he said. "You learn you can't take anything for granted in life. That earthquake killed many people, injured many others and ruined a lot of lives. It's horrible to think about it. I consider myself very lucky I wasn't there when it happened.''
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