For many years, LeBron James and Paul Pierce had intense battles on the court. The Boston Celtics icon reportedly didn’t like The King since he first made it to the league. They initially starred in a brawl during LeBron’s first preseason in the association.
After that, things went worse, with the Celtics dominating James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the postseason. Then, when he joined the Miami Heat, things changed, and the Celtics had to see LBJ going to the Finals for four straight years while they still had their Big 3.
Even after his career was over, Pierce kept going at LeBron, criticizing him during his stint with ESPN. In the past, he made bold claims about The King, even saying he’s not a top 5 player of all time, and stating that if Bron can’t win it all with the 2021/22 Lakers superteam, he would be removed from the GOAT conversation.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics clashed on Friday night, with the C’s getting a blowout win over their historic rival. Pierce was in attendance watching his old team going against his old nemesis. The Truth joined NBC Sports Boston’s broadcast team to talk about the team and James, shocking everybody when he praised the 4x NBA champion.
Pierce stated that LeBron’s longevity and capacity to adapt have made him one of the greatest, comparing him to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
“You know what I like? As LeBron got older, he’s gone to the post a lot more and that’s what you saw with Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. As you get a little older, you can’t be on the ball as much and that’s a true sign of greatness that he can just change his game and find other ways to be effective.”
Paul Pierce credits LeBron on how he's adapted his game as he's aged pic.twitter.com/E9qbJE7Qpn
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 20, 2021
Yes, we know how this sounds, but Pierce is right with his remarks. LeBron has been able to adapt his game as he grows. He’s currently in his 19th season in the league and keeps going strong. It’s good to see that Paul is giving Bron his due respect after several years beefing with the 4x NBA MVP.
Father time is catching up to him, but seeing his level, it’s fair to say he can play for two or three more years at the elite. Meanwhile, the Lakers keep struggling to find their touch this season.
They just recovered Bron on Friday night, but his presence didn’t make a big difference for them. The Celtics dominated their archrivals, 130-108, worsening their current situation.
