LeBron James and Paul Pierce have never gotten along. It's been like that since James entered the league and that's not likely to change any time soon, especially considering all the takes 'The Truth' has fired towards LeBron's way lately.
Pierce had already stated that he didn't think of LeBron as a top-5 player of all time. Now, he doubled down on his take by claiming that he doesn't want to hear people bringing up his name in the GOAT conversation if the Lakers lose in the first round this year:
“Listen, if they don't win this year, LeBron isn't getting any younger. This is going to be a great hit on his legacy and I’ve already said he’s not a top 5 player of all-time. If the Lakers don’t win a championship, let alone lose in the first round, I don’t want to hear none of this GOAT talk no more," Pierce said on ESPN.
We can all agree that Pierce's takes on LeBron are a little biased, to say the least. They battled in the Eastern Conference for over a decade and the King constantly got the best of him on those matchups. Then again, he may have a point here.
LeBron James Says He's Struggling In The Bubble
LeBron James just hasn't been the same since the restart of the NBA season. His efficiency has dropped, his first step seems lost, and it feels like he's forcing some things on offense while trying to get everybody involved.
He's acknowledged that he's having a tough time adapting to playing without fans, even claiming that he didn't remember the last time he played a meaningful game without people in attendance.
Even so, the time for excuses is over. The Lakers paired him with Anthony Davis and clinched the 1st seed in the Western Conference for a reason. They must get the job done. He's 35 years old already, and this may be his last shot at an NBA championship.
LeBron James' legacy may not be on the line as Pierce said but losing in the first round despite having Anthony Davis by his side isn't going to help his case for being the GOAT, especially with his 3-6 record in the Finals. That's just a fact.
