Ever since he returned to our TV screens, Paul Pierce has felt empowered to offer some controversial takes. But ever since his Boston Celtics won the NBA championship in June, "The Truth" has been full of energy on Fox Sports 1's Undisputed.
On Friday, Pierce commented about his old rival, LeBron James . While the Boston legend is a 10-time All-Star and gets the bulk of the credit for the green and white's 2008 championship, many fans wouldn't agree that he got the better of No. 23. However, Pierce may think otherwise.
"I truly feel responsible for helping taking LeBron to that next level," Pierce expressed to Keyshawn and Skip . "Because when he went to Miami, Game 6 in Boston where we had him on the ropes to go back to the Finals, I think that was the game that took LeBron to the next level…we was up 3-2 at home, we could go to the Finals. And that's what took him to the next level."
Whether he played a role in James' growth is something that will forever be debatable. In fact, unless the Lakers superstar comes out and confirms Pierce's sentiments, most won't take his statement to the bank.
However, there is no denying that No. 34 was LeBron's biggest rival at one point. Before he took his talents to South Beach, the Boston forward often got the better of the young Cavs superstar. But that script would flip when No. 23 turned No. 6 in Miami.
Pierce tells a LeBron story
Don't worry - he didn't spend the entire show talking about how he "stopped" LeBron for the first seven years of his career. As much as Pierce wants to take credit for being James' biggest rival, he has also recently come out with his anti-LeBron shell.
Later in Friday's show, the Hall of Famer told an interesting story about his rival and how he looked different upon his arrival in Miami. While many NBA fans credit "2009 LeBron" as his most devastating athletic peak, this story may convince you otherwise.
"It was like the second game of the year, and I was in street clothes in Miami," Pierce begins . "The first thing I said was 'LeBron looks faster than I've ever seen.'… I had played him many times in Cleveland, but 100 percent — 27-year-old LeBron, Miami LeBron? [He] could've been an Olympic sprinter. He just looked different as far as speed in Miami and athleticism.
"They say you don't get your peak until 27, 28, 29 [years old] around there, but I feel like LeBron hit it. I seen it in Cleveland. But when he got to Miami, it looked different."
Related: John Stockton says neither Michael Jordan, LeBron James, nor Kobe Bryant are the GOAT: "Well, I wouldn't use those three"
The best rivalry of the 2000s?
LBJ vs. PP was an exciting back-and-forth rivalry from 2008 to 2012. During those years, both superstars won the title(s) at the expense of one another as the bad blood boiled to the surface.
While most fans would argue Kobe Bryant's status as James' fiercest rival, Boston vs. Cleveland or Boston vs. Miami had a different ring to it because of the genuine contempt between both players. Black Mamba and Bron were friends off the court, but LeBron and Pierce were most definitely not.
Even when the Celtics superstar was past his prime, his internal drive to compete against No. 6, who was in his prime, was still high. Even as a Brooklyn Net, No. 34 publicly said he wanted to guard LeBron in a crucial Game 5 of the 2014 playoffs. And even though the old man was probably reminded of retirement throughout James' 49-point performance, you tip your cap to him trying to stop the 29-year-old freight train.
Related: "Probably one of the hardest things I had to do in sports" - Dwyane Wade's biggest sacrifice turned into his crowing achievement
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