Following a 15-year Hall of Fame career with the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce spent one, mostly forgettable season playing for the Brooklyn Nets before quickly moving on to the Washington Wizards. However, the couple that rented out their $32,000-a-month Manhattan apartment to Pierce (and his wife, Julie) won’t soon forget his time in the Big Apple. According to a lawsuit filed by Rejeev Tewari and Anuragini Pandey — owners of the condo at 90 Franklin Street — not only did Pierce bail on the second year of a two-year agreement, he made unauthorized modifications to the residence:
“(They) left the apartment in shambles, converting some of the items … to their personal gain and … ripping out carpeting, wooden floors … a washer and dryer and an expensive and unique stone hearth from the fireplace,” read court papers filed by Rejeev Tewari and Anuragini Pandey.
So, what did Pierce and his wife replace the wooden floors with? Pink carpet — in all four bedrooms. While Pierce didn’t exactly go Full Prince, pink carpet is pretty damn ugly. Then, there’s the damage:
According to court papers the “horrendous condition” also included damaged radiator covers, broken halogen lights, busted kitchen tiling, and a destroyed shower head, towel hanger soap dish, and cabinet door.
According to the suit, five months spent reversing the damage has cost the owners — who live in Singapore — $225,500 in repairs and lost rent, as they can only rent the place out for a paltry $23,000 a month now. The suit seeks $425,000 in damages and back rent.
[NYDN, photo: Al Bello/Getty Images]