The late-2000s and early 2010s forged some interesting rivalries in the Eastern Conference, as the Boston Celtics emerged as the prohibitive best team in 2008. After faltering in 2009 to the Orlando Magic, the Celtics would make it to the Finals in 2010 but weren’t able to reach that level again till the 2022 season.
Boston’s reign over the East was cut short by the Miami Heat, where Dwyane Wade saw LeBron James and Chris Bosh sign with the team in the 2010 offseason. The Heat would make 4 consecutive NBA Finals, beating the Celtics multiple times in that run. Despite those experiences,
Celtics legend Paul Pierce, who won the 2008 Finals MVP, claimed to have been a better NBA player than Dwyane Wade, something Jalen Rose shut down on ESPN.
Never forget when Paul Pierce said he was better than D-Wade… and Jalen Rose responded with this ðŸ˜
pic.twitter.com/0qqyMs9z4X
— Mink Flow (@currypistonn) October 2, 2022
“He’s made All-NBA First Team twice, Paul hasn’t done it. He made All-NBA 8 times to your 4, he made an All-Defensive team 3 times to your 0, he won 1 scoring title, you weren’t able to win a scoring title, and he has 3 rings while you only have 1.”
Pierce had an incredible career from his perspective, but Wade is a top 5 shooting guard of all time and has an argument to be the third-best all-time behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Dwyane Wade And Paul Pierce Were Both Incredible In The NBA
Over their careers, Wade averaged 22 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds, while Pierce averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Wade’s overall stats are better, while also beating out Pierce in every award category. More All-Star appearances, more All-NBA selections, more All-Defensive selections, you name it.
Wade’s career often gets underrated because of the time he spent alongside LeBron James. Let’s not forget that Wade was the driving force behind the Miami Heat’s 2006 title win and his influence is what made LeBron the machine that made 9 Finals in 10 years.
Pierce had a stellar career and became a legend for the Boston Celtics, one of the most reputed franchises of all time. Pierce didn’t have a glorious late-career phase, hanging onto his NBA career for a tad too long. Either way, he is easily a top 75 player. He might not be better than Wade, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was one of the coldest NBA players of the 2000s and 2010s.
