On the latest episode of The Jump, Paul Pierce named the three players whose playing styles resemble his own the most.
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Paul Pierce was one of the most dominant scorers in his era. For nearly two decades, Pierce could shoot the ball at will and help his team win matches. Now, Pierce is an analyst for ESPN and has never been particularly shy to give his takes despite the criticism he would receive.
As Paul Pierce named the players, his co-host Jalen Rose let out a cheeky laugh. That didn’t stop Pierce from explaining why he saw himself in these players. The most obvious similarity between the two forwards is that they both played for the Boston Celtics. He went on to explain:
“Look at his silky-smooth game — he reminds me of a younger version of me. He gets the shot off any time he wants to.”
Paul Pierce loves Jimmy Butler’s toughness
Another player who Pierce mentioned was Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler and how they shared the same ‘killer toughness’ when on the court. Pierce went on to explain:
“Killer toughness. That’s something I believe I brought to the game, night in and night out. You knew it was gonna be a long night … You weren’t gonna out-work me.”
The last and probably the most absurd comparison was with the Slovenian generational talent Luka Doncic. Pierce emphasized the fact that the similarities were only on scoring the ball. Despite admitting that this comparison would draw criticism, he went on to justify himself:
“If you watch his offensive game, there is not a spot on the floor he cannot get to. I know he’s not the most athletic, he’s not the fastest, but check this out: he gets his shot off every single time, any time he wants. And that was the best part of my game.”
Being a 10-time All-Star, 4-time All-NBA selections, an NBA Finals MVP and an NBA champion, Pierce obviously has a lot to brag about. But are these comparisons a bit unreal? Clearly, Pierce doesn’t think so.
