Paul Pierce Takes Veiled Shot at Shaquille O’Neal and Other Media Personalities for Doubting the Celtics

As Paul Pierce predicted before Game 5 of the 2024 Finals, the Boston Celtics shut down the naysayers and clinched a record-breaking 18th NBA Championship to edge past their perennial rivals the Los Angeles Lakers. On that note, The Truth seized the opportunity to call out prominent sports media voices, who questioned the Celtics’ chances to win it all throughout the 2023-24 season. And what could be a better way for Pierce to celebrate the historic championship than calling out a Lakers legend like Shaquille O’Neal? 

On X, Pierce recently shared a five-minute video compilation of analysts like Colin Cowherd, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Stephen A. Smith, Gilbert Arenas, and Kendrick Perkins downplaying the Celts’ chances of winning the Championship this year.

On his The Big Podcast, Shaquille O’Neal had called the Celtics “overrated” and had repeatedly discounted their chances to shine on the ultimate stage. Pierce seemed to have taken account of Shaq’s dismissive comments. Therefore, the Celtics legend mocked these famous media personalities and captioned his post, “Where the [clowns] at today can’t wait to here from yall lmao”.

The compilation also included Gilbert Arenas labeling the Celts as “irrelevant” throughout NBA history. Apart from that, it showcased Stephen A. Smith confidently picking the Dallas Mavericks to win the title by downing the Celtics in the Finals. 

Where the 🤡🤡🤡🤡s at today can’t wait to here from yall lmao https://t.co/9gMW0r1Gyh

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) June 18, 2024

Meanwhile, the clip also had Pierce’s 2008 championship teammate Kendrick Perkins repeatedly blasting Jayson Tatum and Co. while downplaying the chances of his former team.

Pierce has earned the right to ridicule these doubters as he has been behind his squad throughout the playoffs. The 2008 champion backed them even when they suffered a couple of odd losses at home in the initial rounds of the postseason. He was always sure that the tandem in Boston will get it done this year making up for the past losses.

Paul Pierce was constant in his support for the Celtics

Since the Celtics didn’t face a fierce resistance in the Eastern Conference, many critics questioned if they will be able to take down a Dallas Mavericks squad that had defeated three of the top fours teams in the Western Conference. However, before the championship round began, Paul Pierce had declared that his squad is going to ace the Final test in five to six games.

He posited that since they have already tasted numerous deep playoff runs and the core has now grown accustomed to hardships, they know how to soak the pressure in the title round. On UNDISPUTED, Pierce predicted,

“I got the Celtis in six games.. The reason that the Celtics will win the NBA finals, when you look at the heartaches they have been through. They have been through the pain, they have been through the struggle. They have the experience, they understand the moment more than Dallas”

Apart from that, when the Celts suffered a 38-point defeat in Game 4, he thought that it was merely a “glitch in the matrix” and the stage was set for them to nab a historic championship in Game 5, exactly 16 years after The Truth had paved way for their 17th title. Thus, throughout the postseason, the 46-year-old proved that he bleeds Green and would back his squad through thick and thin.