For nearly a decade, LeBron James and Paul Pierce maintained a rivalry that left room for great tension when the two faced each other. But recently, the former Celtics broke the silence regarding his supposed clash with the Lakers superstar.

Paul Pierce and LeBron James

Drafted in 2003 by the Cavaliers, LeBron James was expected by the Cleveland public as the messiah capable of winning the franchise its very first title in history. Although it succeeded in 2016, the Chosen One only experienced failures during its first visit. Because at that time a wall stood before him in the person of Paul Pierce’s Celtics, who regularly blocked his path.

During the confrontations between the two men’s teams, there were numerous scenes of scuffles, so much so that the rivalry between them lasted almost 10 years. Some people were even willing to claim that the four-time MVP and The Truth hated each other deeply. Faced with all these rumors, the latter however released his four truths recently in Draymond Green ‘s podcast .

Paul Pierce honest about his clash with LeBron James

Without Bron, I wouldn’t be who I am today. For the simple fact that I had epic matches against him. I wouldn’t be who I am without him, so I take my hat off to him. Did I really hate Bron? I never hated him, I always respected him. It’s just that me, in the heat of the moment, on the pitch, we’re not friends, that’s just who I am…

 

They always say I hated Bron, but I appreciate what he did for the sport. I had no idea he would get $40,000. I had no idea that he was going to break all these other records three or four years ago. Bron is in the GOAT debate. Arguably he is perhaps the best, due to his longevity, the records he has broken, etc.

After leaving the Cavs in 2010, it was LeBron James who became the executioner of the Celtics with the Heat. Despite this, Paul Pierce claims to have never felt any resentment towards the Lakers star winger. On the contrary, he says he is grateful to have nourished in him a form of determination thanks to his exploits. And yet, he declared in 2020 that LBJ was not one of the 5 best players in history.

Would the King’s 40,000 points have changed his mind? It’s possible. But we could also imagine that at 46 years old, the former All-Star decided to bury the hatchet and that this clash was in reality not a myth. It wouldn’t be the first time that The Truth didn’t tell the truth… Regardless, they have treated fans to spectacular duels for many years and we can only rejoice about that.

Former rivals on the court, Paul Pierce and LeBron James were suspected of being sworn enemies. However, the Hall of Famer denies this by saying that this historic battle between the two never went beyond the sporting framework. That was already quite enough!