“Never wear LeBron James shoes around Paul Pierce!”: Wizards stars reveal ‘The Truth’ would get irritated with seeing Lakers star’s kicks in his locker room

Paul Pierce had ‘banned’ anyone from wearing LeBron James shoes while he was on their team, especially the Wizards. 

LeBron James has never truly had a singular rival that has tested his will to win over an extended period of time. If you were to choose, Kevin Durant would perhaps be the right answer to being James’s rival given that they faced off against one another in 3 NBA Finals spanning 6 years, with ‘The Slim Reaper’ actually besting him 2-1. 

However, the very series before KD and James’s first encounter in the Playoffs would put an end to ‘The King’s’ first legitimate rivalry in the NBA, which was against the Boston Celtics. That 2012 Eastern Conference Finals was a legacy-defining series for LeBron as he had his iconic Game 6 performance where he dropped 45 points.

Also read: “If you’re looking at an easy game, maybe the Lakers”: Isiah Thomas throws shade at LeBron James and co

Paul Pierce and LeBron James playing the same position and being their respective team’s go-to scorer naturally pitted them against one another. 

Their rivalry began in the 2008 ECSF where Boston booted them from the Playoffs. History would repeat itself in 2010 before James would stomp on their hopes of winning another championship in the following two seasons. 

Paul Pierce did not allow any of his teammates to wear LeBrons. 

Some of the most popular shoes worn by players in the league over the past 2 decades have been LeBrons. Their durability and lockdown are what’s most attractive about them and are an incredibly reputable line of shoes to rock on NBA hardwood.

Also read: “LeBron James hates spending his $1 billion net worth on snacks!”: NBA Twitter roasts Lakers star for bringing his own snacks to Summer League

Paul Pierce, who has made numerous battles against LeBron James, did not like them. In fact, his time with the Washington Wizards left them with two things: the iconic ‘I called game’ shot in Game 3 against the Hawks in 2015 and his strict rules for his teammates on wearing James’s shoes. 

“Well, what I learned from him, you’re not allowed to wear LeBron’s shoes to practice,” said then Wizards center, Marcin Gortat. 

‘The Truth’ has actually made a name for himself in this department as he claimed that he would ‘never wear a rival’s shoe’, leading him to ban himself from rocking LeBrons, Kobes, and even KDs.