MIAMI, FL - JUNE 09: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat with the ball against Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics in the second quarter in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on June 9, 2012 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
LeBron James and Paul Pierce aren’t the best of friends.
Pierce’s Celtics teammate, Kenny Anderson confirmed it. “I just don’t think he likes LeBron James,” Anderson told me on the Heavy Live With Scoop B Show.
“That happens. I think he doesn’t like him. The comments and some of the statements that he makes he just doesn’t like him. He can say what he wants to say but, I don’t think that he likes him for whatever reason, you know?”
A New York City basketball legend by way of Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, Anderson played collegiately at Georgia Tech before he became the New Jersey Nets’ second overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft.
During his days in New Jersey he played with Derrick Coleman and the late Drazen Petrovic under late head coach Chuck Daly.
Anderson would last five years with the Nets before he’d become an NBA journeyman in stints with the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Anderson ended his basketball career in 2006 after an overseas stint with Lithuania’s Žalgiris Kaunas.
As for Paul Pierce and LeBron James, this has been a subject of conversation for a bit.
This past summer when retired NBA big man, Ryan Hollins appeared on the Scoop B Radio Podcast and revealed that Pierce viewed James as ‘soft’ prior to James and the Heat eliminating Pierce and the Celtics in Game 7 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat went on to win a tite that year.
“That was our championship to walk away with,” Ryan Hollins told Scoop B Radio.
“Until then LeBron was seen as soft. We thought he wouldn’t show up in fourth quarters, we thought he wasn’t the real dude and when things got tight, he wouldn’t be able to go out and make plays.”
Paul Pierce’s Celtics viewed Miami Heat-era LeBron James as soft says @TheRyanHollins – t.co/HPuiRCRUl2
“We thought he wouldn’t show up in 4th Quarters, we thought he wasn’t the real dude and when things got tight, he wouldn’t be able to go out and make plays.”
Added Hollins: “We thought he wouldn’t show up in 4th Quarters, we thought he wasn’t the real dude and when things got tight, he wouldn’t be able to go out and make plays.”
Antoine Walker, another Celtics teammate of Pierce’s appeared on the Heavy Live With Scoop B Show back in the fall and told me that Pierce believes that LeBron James is not that much better than him. “No I don’t think he hates LeBron,”said Walker.
“I think he respects LeBron.
“Me knowing Paul’s competitive drive, Paul doesn’t believe LeBron’s that much better than him. And I do believe that.Paul would play him one-on-one every day of the week; I guarantee you that and that’s just the competitor in him. You couldn’t tell me Kobe Bryant wouldn’t play Michael Jordan every day of the week. You know what I mean? It’s kinda that type of thing. I think sometimes with Paul, the way it comes out on TV it seems that way because I remember him commenting about [Dwyane] Wade and people got mad because of what Paul said about D-Wade. Paul believes that he’s in that category. For whatever reason he doesn’t get that notoriety that those guys get. He’s not celebrated like those guys. He is that guy.”
A 10-time NBA All-Star, Paul Pierce was the Celtics’ 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft out of Kansas. Pierce won an NBA Championship with the Celtics in 2008 alongside teammates, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
Known as Celtic, he’d have later stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards.
Pierce averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game during his career.