No NBA prospect has ever entered the league with more buzz than LeBron James. Before he even graduated high school, he was dubbed ‘The Chosen One’, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, and was seen as the future of basketball.
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Although the predictions turned out to be true as LeBron became the face of the league and dominated the game, at the time, the hype didn’t sit well with a lot of people. Veterans, who had gone through the toil to earn their stripes weren’t immediately on board the LeBron hype train.
Cavaliers players infamously rejected the notion that James would be their ‘messiah’ and rid them of their middling troubles. “We have better players than him in his position already on our team,” said Carlos Boozer.
Paul Pierce was of a similar mindset. He wasn’t completely sold on this idea that a teenager out of high school was going to be greatest thing since sliced bread. So, when the opportunity started presenting itself, Pierce had to test what the hype was all about. During a recent conversation with Skip Bayless, the Celtics legend spoke about LeBron’s early NBA days.
He said, “When he got drafted, I was like, man, I’m gonna test him. From day one, I was going at him. How you’re gonna call this 19-year-old kid a ‘King’? Like, what has he done?” Since they played the same position, it didn’t take long for Pierce to put the new kid to work.
Apart from the physicality, talking trash was a big part of Pierce’s game. So, whenever he called him out on the floor, he didn’t get any response. As time went by and the Celtics became the most dominant team in the league, their rivalry intensified. From trash talks to playoff battles, they went through it all. In that process, Pierce believes he helped make LeBron the player he is today.
Paul Pierce claims he helped LeBron James get to the next level
LeBron has had some incredible competitors throughout his career. He’ll be the first to admit that fierce battles against great opponents have helped grow his game. However, it’s rare for someone to step forward and claim the honor for themselves. Paul Pierce did that on Undisputed.
He said, “I truly feel responsible for helping take LeBron to that next level… When he went to Miami, Game 6 in Boston (in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals) where we had them on the ropes to go back to the Finals, I think that was the game that took LeBron to the next level. We were up 3-2 at home. We could go to the Finals, and that’s when it took him to the next level.”
During the Heat’s legendary 2011 postseason run, where they lost the Finals to Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavs, the Heat beat the Celtics in five games. Whether Pierce has had the effect he claims so proudly or not, only LeBron knows. Regardless, the battles they had will remain timeless for fans.
