| | Associated Press
BOSTON -- Paul Pierce, his eye swollen and forehead
bandaged, walked out of the hospital three days after being stabbed
nearly a dozen times, hoping for a quick return to the Boston
Celtics.
Before a few dozen cheering onlookers, Pierce was accompanied by
his mother and two brothers as he left New England Medical Center
on Thursday.
"I'd just like to tell everybody I feel good," he said. "I
can't wait to get back on the basketball court and join my Celtics
teammates."
Pierce, speaking from a podium, wore sunglasses over a swollen
right eye and a black Celtics cap that nearly covered a bandage on
his forehead. He thanked his family, the hospital and fans before
leaving in a white stretch limo.
Pierce was stabbed in his face, neck and back and hit over the
head with a bottle at a private nightclub party Monday. The
22-year-old swingman, an emerging star for the Celtics, had lung
surgery, with the other wounds mostly superficial.
The Celtics begin training camp Monday, but Pierce did not
indicate if he'd be there.
Two of the three men police believe attacked Pierce pleaded
innocent to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon
and were ordered held on $15,000 cash bail.
Prosecutors say Tony Hurston, 31, also known as Tony McCrary,
initiated the fight in the club's pool room. They say he came up
behind Pierce, punched him and hit him on the head with a bottle as
he lay on the ground.
At some point, prosecutors contend, Trevor Watson, 34, and
William Ragland, 28, joined the fight and stabbed Pierce. The
motive is under investigation.
Ragland, also charged with assault and battery with a dangerous
weapon, remained at large. Meanwhile, Hurston posted $15,000 bail
and was released from Nashua Street Jail, according to his
attorney, John Swomley.
Hurston's lawyer, John Swomley, says his client was at the club
but left when the fight began. Hurston was working in New York when
he learned Tuesday of his arrest warrant and returned to Boston to
surrender. Swomley added that Hurston has no prior criminal record.
"My client has never met Mr. Pierce, does not know Mr. Pierce
and has no vendetta against Mr. Pierce," Swomley said.
The three men charged reportedly have ties to the rap group Made
Men, whom Swomley also represents.
Watson was with Made Men member Raymond E. "Ray Dog" Scott
when the rapper was arrested and pepper sprayed at the Braintree
Mall by police. The two men were questioned by police after a store
employee reported that Scott had made large credit card purchase.
The card turned out to be Scott's. Scott filed charges against
the police, who were later acquitted.
A judge denied the request by prosecutors to demand a $250,000
cash bail from Watson. He was out on supervised release after a
July 1999 conviction for weapons possession.
Pierce, 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, averaged 19.5 points and was
second in the NBA in steals with 2.08 a game. An All-American at
Kansas, Pierce was drafted in the first round in 1998 after his
junior season.
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 Paul Pierce can't wait to get back on the basketball court.
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Dana Barros' prayers go out to his former teammate Paul Pierce and his family.
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Walter McCarty hopes for a speedy recovery for his teammate Paul Pierce.
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Rick Pitino answers reporters' questions after visiting Paul Pierce.
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