Paul Pierce, former Boston Celtics star and Basketball Hall of Famer, received a vote for the greatest of all time (GOAT) in a recent anonymous poll of NBA players conducted by The Athletic.
While Pierce has never been a prominent figure in the GOAT conversation, which has largely revolved around Michael Jordan and LeBron James, he expressed gratitude for the vote and emphasized that off-court contributions are also important in determining the GOAT status.
Pierce even speculated that James may have voted for him, considering their battles on the court during Pierce’s time with the Celtics and James’ tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
Paul Pierce believes LeBron James might have voted for him as the greatest player of all time in @TheAthletic’s player survey
“What if LBJ voted for me? I did play against him. He must think something. What do you think about that? We had a lot of battles. Come on now, we had… pic.twitter.com/zOhLqT4KoF
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 24, 2024
Although Pierce is not considered the GOAT, he had an impressive career, making 10 All-Star teams, four All-NBA teams, and being named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Pierce has had a well-known rivalry with James, especially during his time with the Celtics. However, in a recent appearance on The Draymond Green Show, Pierce buried the hatchet and acknowledged James for shaping him into the legend he became.
"Sometimes it’s not always everything you do on the court, but off the court too that makes you the GOAT." – Paul Pierce pic.twitter.com/hdghpDbv4A
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 24, 2024
Pierce expressed respect for James and credited him for his impact on the game. He clarified that any animosity in the past was solely due to their on-court rivalry.
Pierce also addressed his controversial take from 2020 when he stated that LeBron wasn’t a top-five player of all time.
He explained that his comments were contingent on the Lakers potentially losing in the first round of the playoffs. However, Pierce later acknowledged James as the second-best player of all time after the Lakers won the championship that year.
He has since recognized James’ achievements, including becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and reaching the 40,000 career-points mark, and believes James is carving out his path to being considered the undisputed GOAT.
Despite his criticisms in the past, Pierce emphasized his admiration for James’ contributions to basketball, both on and off the court.
He praised James for setting high standards of excellence and acknowledged the magnitude of his legacy, even though they had their differences on the court.
Pierce recognizes that James’ impact may remain unmatched in this lifetime.
Fans reacted as follows:
He 100% did vote for Paul Pierce……as a joke.
— Dom (@Underrated_Dom) April 24, 2024
No he didn’t bro trust me 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/8bg5dn1UFn
— ɪᴍ.ʀɪʟᴇʏ シ ✞ ☘️ (@CookedByRiley0) April 24, 2024
I love you Paul pierce but he didn’t
— ⏳ (@kingDiaws) April 24, 2024
it’s just an over correction for years of unwarranted slander…. truth always comes to the light
— brad auerbach (@CelticsPost) April 24, 2024
Someone hit the wrong button when voting
— Settle the Debate! (@Settle__Debate) April 24, 2024
100% he didn’t.
— BullsKickAss (@Bullskickass) April 24, 2024
Bro cmon pic.twitter.com/aUwlNoQzt8
— Lebron in 1 𝕏 (@Lebronin1) April 24, 2024
😂😂😂😂
Paul Pierce funny for this.
I really do believe someone voted for him and fully believed it not trolling simply because it’s so many better choices to troll with
— Brandon J. McGill (@14xfounder) April 24, 2024
Paul Pierce: “What if LBJ voted for me?”
LeBron: pic.twitter.com/9kE7RnZ3oa
— Nombre del Hombre (@micapollo) April 24, 2024
— Ballsack Sports (@BallsackSports) April 24, 2024
LeBron thinks himself to be the goat and has said so multiple times
— J Will Muse (@JWillMuse) April 24, 2024
