Many might not remember, but Paul Pierce delivered some unforgettable posters on several NBA superstars during his prime. The Boston Celtics legend discussed the tallest players he has posterized, on his podcast, The Truth Lounge, and LeBron James’s name came up almost inevitably.
Pierce talked about dunking on Shawn Bradley and Yao Ming, both 7-feet-6 centers. The Celtics legend then said rather unexpectedly, “Shoot, I caught LeBron, he was in the picture…”
The production crew then showed a clip of the dunk.
In the final moments of Game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Celtics and Cavaliers, Paul Pierce executed a clever backdoor cut to the basket. Rajon Rondo showcased his exceptional court vision, making the perfect pass to his cutting teammate.
Pierce found himself with a clear path to the rim, with James too far away to stop him. However, the Cavs forward refused to give up on the play. His effort resulted in him being on the receiving end of a poster dunk.
“That’s body contact. He got there late. When you get there late, you get your feelings hurt,” Pierce said about his dunk. His argument was that LeBron got posterized by him because he got caught in the same frame of the dunk, it doesn’t matter if he got there late.
Did @PaulPierce34 put LeBron on a poster? ⁰
Watch P’s flashback to Game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals pic.twitter.com/EEst7I08Dd— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) December 31, 2024
Across his nearly two-decade-long career, Pierce earned a reputation as one of the best shooters in the league – from midrange to the three-point land. With his jump shot being the biggest asset of his game, Pierce didn’t always receive the recognition he deserved as a versatile 3-level scorer. In instances such as these, he would attack the rim with explosive dunks or finish creatively around the basket.
Bringing the focus back to his matchup with LeBron, Pierce may not have come out on top in their head-to-head battles. However, he played a key role in creating one of the most intense and memorable rivalries in the modern NBA.
Pierce takes credit for unleashing LeBron’s true potential
LeBron James and Paul Pierce were two of the premier scoring forwards of the 2000s and early 2010s. Representing rival teams in the Eastern Conference, they frequently faced each other.
Over their careers, James and Pierce played against each other a total of 69 times. Not only did James edge out Pierce in wins (35-34), but he also consistently outperformed him statistically—averaging more points (29.2 to 18.8), rebounds (7.4 to 5.3), assists (6.0 to 3.4), and stocks [combined steals and blocks] (2.9 to 1.4).
Despite being outplayed in every category, Pierce still takes pride in the rivalry, crediting himself for pushing LeBron to elevate his game. “I truly feel responsible for taking LeBron to that next level,” Pierce once boldly said.
Pierce’s comments are debatable. One could point out that LeBron had already secured most of his MVP awards before the specific moment he highlighted – Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. Nevertheless, the rivalry between these two legends remains one of the most iconic in basketball history.
