Despite his age, LeBron James maintains a high level of leadership for the LA Lakers, setting the league ablaze in the process. He guided his team to victory in the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. Undoubtedly, LeBron most recently added another prestigious award to his endless list of on-court achievements.
Showcasing unprecedented performance with over 20 years in the league and approaching his 39th birthday by month’s end, the athlete has strengthened his GOAT claim with recent on-court success. However, some ex-players still gather to argue if he is currently ranked among the best five players in the league.
Pierce and Garnett argue over LeBron James’ top-5 status
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett recently had a heated argument while discussing the top five players in today’s NBA. The intense debate unfolded during the KG certified watch-along stream of the In-Season Tournament final.
In the second quarter of the game, Garnett and Pierce clashed over whether LeBron James should be considered a top-five player at the moment. Surprisingly, Pierce does not believe that LBJ deserves a spot in the top five, while KG disagrees with Pierce’s list that excludes the King.
The disagreement began when Nick Kyrgios questioned LeBron’s top-five status, prompting a disapproving headshake from Pierce after KG affirmed it. Garnett challenged Pierce to name a player better than LBJ, to which Pierce listed Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jayson Tatum. However, KG flatly rejected the idea, stating, “Please stop with this nonsense,” insisting that no one on that list surpasses King James.
KG went on to highlight how Embiid has never scored 50 points in a finals game and how Doncic has never reached the finals. He urged ‘The Truth’ to respect James, who has accumulated 66,000 minutes and continues to play at a high level at the age of 38.
Pierce insisted they were discussing the present scenario, not the overall body of work. However, KG dismissed that notion, standing firm in his belief. Pierce, in response, humorously suggested getting KG a LeBron James jersey.
As the two legends engaged in a spirited debate, the Los Angeles Lakers secured a 123-109 victory against the Indiana Pacers, lifting the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament trophy. KG’s stance was further justified as LBJ earned the first NBA In-Season Tournament MVP.
Paul Pierce considers LeBron his biggest rival
The rivalry between Paul Pierce and LeBron James has been well-known for quite some time. Even after the retirement of the Boston Celtics star, he continues to throw shade at LeBron whenever an opportunity arises.
Pierce has consistently expressed confidence in his status as a great rival to LeBron, often making bold claims about how he would have matched up against the King. In 2017, Pierce made one of his boldest statements, suggesting that LeBron wouldn’t have achieved the same success in Miami if they were the same age.
Despite engaging in memorable battles over the years, Pierce acknowledges that when LeBron reached his peak, Pierce’s performance level was on the decline. In an interview with Cari Champion, conducted in the unique setting of an Uber car, Pierce discussed his rivalry with LeBron.
Pierce shared that he enjoyed the competitive moments they experienced as rivals. However, he emphasized that if they were the same age during LeBron’s Miami days, the trajectory of the King’s career would have been significantly different.
Pierce stated, “I always said that if I and he [LeBron] were of the same age, itâd be different. He might not have gotten those championships in Miami If I was 26 and he was 26.”
During LeBron’s tenure in Cleveland, he struggled against the Celtics. However, upon joining Miami’s Big 3 with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron managed to overcome his nemesis and guide the Heat to four consecutive Finals.
Despite Pierce’s conviction that he had a better career than Dwyane Wade and his claim that he could have thwarted Miami LeBron, the retired Celtics star’s rivalry with James seems to influence his perspective on the King’s current standing in the NBA.
