Getty Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade
Recent Basketball Hall-of-Fame inductee Dwyane Wade and Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce have traded barbs with one another over the past week or so. Following the comments they’ve directed at one another, Wade cleared the air while talking with The New York Times’ Sopan Deb.
The Miami Heat legend praised Pierce for the career he had while explaining why he believes Pierce said what he said.
“Listen, Paul Pierce was one of the greatest players that we’ve had in our game. And I think, you know, when you are a great player, and you don’t get the attention that you feel like your game deserved, sometimes you’ve got to grab whatever attention where those straws are,” Wade told Deb.
Wade then explained why he understood why Pierce believes he was better than Wade and why his thoughts don’t really bother him.
“Paul believes he’s a better player than me. He should believe that. That’s why he was great. That’s not my argument, and I didn’t play the game to be better than Paul Pierce. I played the game the way I played it, and I made the sacrifices that I made. Everybody doesn’t want to sacrifice.”
Paul Pierce Explains Why Dwyane Wade Was Lucky
On the July 21 episode of “The Cam’Ron Show” during the segment “It is what it is,” Pierce explained why he believes Wade was lucky because of the teammates he had.
Paul Pierce explains why he’s better than Dwyane Wade
“Put Shaq on my team, put LeBron and Bosh with me. I’m not going to win one?”
(via #ItIsWhatItIs / h/t @LeBatardShow )
“Put Shaq (O’Neal) on my team. Put LeBron (James) and (Chris) Bosh with me. I’m not gonna win one? You don’t think?” Pierce asked. “Put me, LeBron, and Bosh… we not gonna win a couple?”
Pierce then made the case for why he was better than Wade at scoring the basketball.
“Is he a better scorer? Okay, he averaged more points than my career. I can shoot the three, from mid-range. I can post up. I can get to the line. Who (is) a better scorer?”
Pierce also added that he didn’t want to come off like his comments were knocking Wade. However, to further emphasize his point, Pierce asked what would have happened had he played with some of the best players he ever got to play with when they were younger.
“I got to play with (Kevin Garnett) and Ray (Allen) past their prime,” Pierce said. “If four years earlier, you put me, Ray, and KG together, you think we ain’t walking away with three chips?”
Dwyane Wade Said He Lives ‘Rent-Free’ in Paul Pierce’s Head
Wade responded to Pierce’s comments on August 8, mocking Pierce’s comments on “The Dan Le Batard Show.”
“Rent is expensive and I’m living rent free…it’s documented, I don’t need to say anything…I went and got my Avengers…”
– @DwyaneWade finally responds to Paul Pierce’s comments on who in fact had the better career. 😂 #HeatCulture
📺 t.co/UYp07snQ73
🎙️…
“Listen, rent is expensive in America, and I’m living rent-free right now,” Wade said. “So let him keep going. I like living rent-free.”
Wade also refused to give his thoughts on how he compared himself to Pierce, saying that it all depends on what fans and media think of the subject.
“It’s documented,” Wade said. “I don’t need to say anything. Everything is documented. So, I’ll let you guys go ahead and talk about all that stuff. It sounds better coming from y’all than me.”
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Dwyane Wade Gets Candid on Beef With Celtics Legend Paul Pierce