The 2008 NBA Finals saw one of the NBA’s greatest rivalries between two franchises get renewed. The Los Angeles Lakers clashed with the Boston Celtics in a battle between some of the most incredible names to grace the game. Having been brought back to contention with the Lakers after some disappointing seasons, Kobe Bryant went up against the Celtics’ newly-assembled Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.
The series was highly anticipated and went 6 games, with the Celtics emerging victorious. The combined might of the Big 3, assisted by Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, proved to be too much for the Lakers, who fell at the final hurdle. And there are several incredible stories about that time that those players still talk about, including the exploits of The Truth, Paul Pierce.
Former Celtic Leon Powe Shed Some Light On Paul Pierce’s Decision To Guard Kobe Bryant Full Court
Guarding any player up and down the whole court is tough, let alone when it’s a legendary scorer like Kobe Bryant. Pierce’s decision was not one that many expected, but with Garnett and Allen backing him up, he was keen to take on the challenge. His teammate at the time, Leon Powe, spoke about how committed Pierce was to The Athletic in 2021.
“I remember in the Finals, Paul was picking up Kobe damn near full court. Full court! We got in a timeout, and we said, ‘You don’t have to pick up Kobe full court.’ He looked at us and said, ‘Nah! Nah! I got him! I got him! I don’t need no help!’ That’s all he kept saying. He kept repeating, ‘Don’t help me!’”
And Pierce’s reason behind taking this decision was one based on leadership. Facing someone like Kobe Bryant is intimidating even for the most elite athletes, and Pierce wanted to remind his teammates that everyone needed to do their jobs for the Celtics to prevail.
“When your teammates see you taking the lead on that, it inspires them. They’re like, ‘Damn, Paul gonna pick him up and take on that challenge.’ That let everybody know that I got him, and they’re like, ‘I gotta do my job over here if he’s doing that.’”
Bryant averaged 25 points per game during the series, but his efficiency from the field was simply not that great, averaging just over 40% for the series. Bryant would win the title the next two seasons, even using a picture of Pierce as motivation, so he had his revenge. But this story is an excellent example of just how great Paul Pierce was in his prime.
