LeBron James and Paul Pierce have had a long-standing rivalry in the NBA. Pierce was a fantastic player during his time in the NBA, winning an NBA title, Finals MVP, and multiple All-Star nominations.
Pierce was truly incredible when he was with the Boston Celtics. But his career pales in comparison to that of LeBron James. James is one of the greatest players in NBA history and is often mentioned in the conversation for the greatest of all time.
Pierce and LeBron’s rivalry started when both players were in the Eastern Conference. James was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Pierce was with the Boston Celtics. Both players had struggled to win a championship, with James coming closest in 2007 when he reached the NBA Finals.
But that very year, the Celtics pulled off two massive trades to bring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to Boston to form a big three The trio dominated the East, even defeating LeBron and the Cavs to reach the NBA Finals in 2008. The Celtics beat the Lakers to win the NBA championship that season.
In the following years, Pierce and the big three would be a huge hurdle for LeBron, as they knocked him out of the NBA Playoffs in 2010 again. Without any help, LeBron couldn’t overcome Pierce and the big three. James then joined the Miami Heat, forming his own big three with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
With reinforcements, James and the Heat went on to dominate the Celtics, beating them in consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. James even had one of his best games ever at Pierce’s expense, when he dropped 45 points on the Celtics to win Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.
After their wars with each other, there is still no love lost between the two. And Pierce continues to take shots from time to time. Pierce recently said that LeBron James has a lot of pressure going into the new season and that he and the Lakers need to win the championship.
If the Lakers do not win the championship, Pierce believes it hurts his legacy. On top of that, Pierce also believes that another first-round exit like last season will remove James from the GOAT conversation altogether.
“If they don’t win this year, it’s gonna be a big hit on LeBron’s legacy. He’s not top 5 all-time if (the) Lakers don’t win. Let alone lose in the first round. No more G.O.A.T talk anymore.”
Paul Pierce says it's all or nothing for LeBron this year 👀 pic.twitter.com/z08x3ZGGBM
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) August 20, 2021
Clearly, Pierce thinks that LeBron has a lot on the line this season. And he is right that there is pressure on him to perform. But Pierce has had a history of slamming LeBron James and questioning his credentials.
So his comments come as no surprise. Regardless, LeBron will be fully focused on winning a title, and not on Pierce’s comments.
