Jason Williams has never been afraid to speak out against popular opinion, and he did exactly that when ranking the greatest small forwards in NBA history.
The former NBA champion was asked to name his top five on the Hoopin’ N Hollerin’ show, and he made his decision. At No. 1 position, he selects LeBron James, and then he selects (in order) Kevin Durant, Larry Bird, and Kawhi Leonard. He left Julius Erving off the list completely by picking Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce.
The conversation began when host Rone asked Williams to name his five greatest small forwards of all time.
Rone: “As an exercise, give me your top five small forwards of all time.”
Jason Williams: “Was KD a small forward?”
Rone: “Yeah, so let’s count him as a small forward. Put them in order. Obviously, you’ve got LeBron first.”
Jason Williams: “Yeah.”
Rone: “Then would you go Larry Bird or KD?”
Jason Williams: “I’m going to go KD.”
Rone: “Then Larry Bird?”
Jason Williams: “Yeah.”
Rone: “Then Kawhi?”
Jason Williams: “Yeah.”
Rone: “Who do you have fifth?”
Jason Williams: “Paul Pierce is better than all those guys, to me, that you just named.”
Rone: “Paul Pierce is better than Dr. J?”
Jason Williams: “To me, yes. Give me Paul Pierce… Paul Pierce got stabbed 17 times and still came out there and busted your ass. And Paul Pierce got picked behind me in the ’98 Draft. What motherfucking raggedy-ass general managers let that happen? Tell me who those general managers were that took me before The Truth.”
It’s quite easy to understand why Williams has so much admiration for Pierce. Pierce was stabbed 17 times during an attack at a Boston nightclub in September 2000. Despite undergoing surgery, he did not miss a single game the following season, averaging 25.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Williams and Pierce were part of the 1998 NBA Draft, with Williams being drafted second overall by the Sacramento Kings and Pierce being selected 10th overall by the Boston Celtics. Eight teams passed on the future Finals MVP before the Celtics ended his slide.
And Pierce had an incredible career with the Celtics, becoming one of the greatest players in franchise history. He finished his career averaging 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while earning 10 All-Star selections, four All-NBA honors, an NBA championship in 2008, and Finals MVP.
But still leaving Dr. J off the list is quite surprising.
Julius Erving changed the small forward position with his athleticism and style. Across the ABA and NBA, he won four MVP awards, four championships, and captured an NBA title with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983, averaging 24.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for his career. He is often ranked as one of the most influential players of all time.
Whether fans agree with Williams or not, his rankings have certainly reignited the never-ending debate over who belongs among the greatest small forwards in NBA history.
