Paul Pierce hates the Los Angeles Lakers. That’s a fact he has confirmed multiple times, illustrated all the more by how he doesn’t hesitate to take shots at the organization and its players.
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During his latest podcast appearance, on All Facts No Breaks with Keyshawn Johnson, Pierce took a dig at the LA franchise’s future, Luka Doncic. The interview, where Pierce sat down at his old high school gym to answer various questions about his basketball career, was meant to be about his journey as a basketball player.
The former forward revealed how he developed from a slightly unfit Inglewood senior to a Finals MVP with the Boston Celtics and a Hall of Famer. And, in between all of it, he also managed to shoot at Doncic.
Pierce began by recalling how he never expected he’d be good enough to play in the NBA. He was just happy with D1 college offers until his coach caught him shooting around one evening. He planted the idea of going pro in Pierce’s head.
“I remember it was on this court right here, and I was shooting with my high school coach, and it was my senior year, and he came over to me like, ‘Man. I think you [are] gonna be an NBA player one day,” recalled Pierce.
The Truth admitted that he was nowhere near fit enough to be a professional back when he was in high school. This is when he took a jab at Doncic.
“I like 6’2, you know, out of shape, you know. I wasn’t Luka [Doncic], but then I had a growth spurt, and I started leaning out,” joked Pierce, hinting at the criticisms Doncic has faced over his fitness issues.
It was this concern about his health that led to his unceremonious trade from the Dallas Mavericks earlier this year. The weight concerns weren’t as brutal for Pierce, though, as he leaned out from a slightly unfit 6’2 senior to a 6’7, 235-pound bucket-getter by the time he made the league.
Pierce was a natural scorer, and by his own claims, perhaps the most gifted scorer the NBA has ever seen. He certainly worked hard to get into top shape for the NBA.
So maybe Pierce has earned the right to take a snide jab at Doncic’s fitness, something the Slovenian is still working hard to improve.
