LeBron James is the defining NBA player of the last 20 years and could be considered the greatest of all time, given he already sits there in the eyes of some. Paul Pierce had a heated rivalry with James and often came out on top when the pair faced but never got the same recognition as James.
Former Heat point guard Mario Chalmers explained why Pierce feels the way he does about LeBron.
“I think it’s something personal. But for me, I just feel like Paul Pierce never got the respect that he deserved when it comes to him being that type of caliber player he is – because when you think about the top small forwards, you don’t name Paul Pierce. You name T-Mac, Scottie Pippen, James Worthy… you name guys like that. And I just feel like when they named ‘Bron he’s like he’s done things and I should be up there too, I did just as much as these guys did; I got the ring, I got the numbers…why is my name NOT up there? So I think that it’s a little personal matchup between him and ‘Bron. I don’t think it’s really any dislike, I just think that’s how he feels.”
Paul Pierce doesn’t like LeBron James, right?!
Why?
I asked Mario Chalmers:
“I think it’s something personal. But for me, I just feel like Paul Pierce never got the respect that he deserved when it comes to him being that type of caliber player he is – because when you think… pic.twitter.com/435uD9rO5o
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) October 9, 2023
It’s hard to rank Pierce in the pantheon of all-time greats. His greatest achievement came after his prime, as he was a dominant force on bad Celtics teams for nearly a decade before Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen showed up to make him a champion.
Pierce averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists for his career. In 19 years, Pierce won one NBA Championship, a Finals MVP, made 10 All-Star teams, and four All-NBA teams.
Paul Pierce Finally Respects LeBron James
Pierce and James have had a pretty rough rivalry, with the pair having clear distaste for one another during their playing days. But now that Pierce is a Hall of Famer, he’s come out and given LeBron the flowers he deserves. Pierce recently called James the greatest of all time, a sentence many never expected Pierce to say.
“When we talk about the GOAT, he might be the GOAT. I think that right there solidified and this is the reason why he’s there because he put himself in a place where I don’t see anybody passing him in our lifetime in scoring for one. Two, when you look at his accolades, and you look at longevity, and then you look at the biggest part of it, was the expectations coming out of high school. That type of pressure. I remember being in my first All-Star game in Philly, and we were talking to the reporters and all the chatter was about, “Have you heard of his kid named LeBron James?” To live up to those expectations because he could be the greatest ever and surpass those expectations. That’s tough.”
James has a losing record against Pierce in the regular season of 18-21. At the same time, he has a better record in the playoffs with 17-13.
Pierce averaged 20.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists against James while LeBron averaged 29.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in their regular season matchups. James leveled up in the playoffs, averaging 29.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists against Pierce while Pierce managed 17.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
Their rivalry was incredible and saw both players bring the best out of each other. Even though James hasn’t reciprocated the public love for Pierce in the same way, I am confident we will see them interact positively before or possibly after James has also retired from the game.
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