Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce knows a thing or two about legendary athletes. Hell, he was one in his pomp, pouring buckets all across the parquet surface that lines Boston’s TD Garden.
A Beantown icon, Pierce shared his prime with the NFL’s greatest-ever quarterback, Tom Brady. He also shared a city — Pierce and Brady were brothers in arms during the 2000s, both receiving countless accolades in their respective fields of study.
Pierce’s Boston ties would seem to indicate an allegiance of sorts to Brady, especially in the conversation of the world’s greatest-ever athletes. Yet Pierce opted to give that honor to another iconic counterpart who shared the stage with him numerous times during his playing days: Lakers star LeBron James.
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Pierce called James the greatest athlete he’s ever laid eyes on, citing King James’ ability to stay in tip-top shape even at the advanced age of 39 as justification for his decision.
“It’s a joy to watch, man. And I think us as fans gotta really cherish it for however many more years LeBron can play at this level,” Pierce said during an appearance on ‘The Dan Le Batard Show.’ “Cause I’ll tell you one thing, when I was like 34, I was waking up and it was hit or miss if I was gon’ be ready for the game.”
Pierce provided further context for his assertion that James is a better athlete than Brady. Although Brady reached various heights during his last few years in the NFL — he nabbed MVP honors at 40 and led his team to two Super Bowl titles — Pierce felt that Brady was able to do so without having to showcase much athleticism.
“LeBron is probably the greatest athlete we’ve ever seen,” Pierce added. “We’ve never seen nobody play at this level at this age. And, yeah you could say Brady, he played until he was 40-plus, but he didn’t have to run up and down the court, jump, go out there and dunk, guard. He had a good line to protect him.
“With the physicality and with the athleticism he’s displaying and still putting up these crazy numbers, and you say at 39, LeBron, any team you put him on is a contender, is crazy to hear and watch.”
This week’s comments represent a massive changing of the guard for Pierce, who has typically downplayed the significance of his battles with James in years past. It seems the bubble of retirement has forced him to reconsider some things, one of which is how he views James.
