Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce recently spoke about LeBron James during his appearance on the It Is What It Is podcast. Pierce, talking about the Boston Celtics’ dynasty in the late 2000s, claimed that James knew he could not beat his team. The two players have had a rivalry right from the start of James’ career. So much so that Pierce claimed he was a big reason why James was forced to join the Miami Heat in a $109,837,500 deal.
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LeBron’s early Cleveland Cavaliers were ousted by the Boston Celtics multiple times. Pierce claimed that his inability to beat his team was one of the reasons behind the Miami Heat move. He talked about one match in particular from the 2007-08 NBA season.
Paul Pierce claims he was behind LeBron James’ move to Miami Heat
In the podcast, Pierce spoke about a range of topics about his career. He was eventually asked whether he was a better player than LeBron James in his prime.
Pierce respectfully declined, claiming that he was only better than LeBron on some days. However, the superior Celtics led to multiple heartbreaks for the Cavaliers’ James. He spoke about Game 7 from the 2007-08 Playoffs’ second round:
“No I am not better than LeBron. But, on any given day, I can be. Let’s talk about it. I’m a big reason he went to Miami. I’m a big reason, I’m a big part of it. Let’s talk about that. When I went for 41 in game-7, sent him home.”
While Pierce himself scored 41, it was James who had top-scored the game with 45 points. The Cavaliers ended up losing and were knocked out.
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The consistent losses eventually led to LeBron signing a $109,837,500 contract with the Miami Heat. He eventually won his first NBA title. Teaming up with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, the Heat won the 2012 and 2013 NBA championships.
Paul Pierce called LeBron James the GOAT
James’s extraordinary career led to him becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar last season, leading to a range of ex-stars congratulating him.
Paul Pierce was also one of them. The Celtics legend went a step further and claimed that the record cemented him as the GOAT.
Pierce commended James on being able to handle the extreme pressure he was subjected to right from the start. Despite Michael Jordan having 6 titles, he ended up calling LeBron the greatest of all time.
