Former NBA forward Paul Pierce took another shot at Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James following the Lakers’ 100-93 loss to the Blazers in Game 1.
Despite the fact that James had a triple-double, with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 16 assists, Pierce ripped him on ESPN’s First Take.
Yo, @KingJames. Paul Pierce is giving you some bulletin board material 🗣️ (via @FirstTake, @TravisRodgers)
More Lakers reaction on 710 ESPN https://t.co/Wda75IMccI pic.twitter.com/Ld9peGrg6B
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) August 19, 2020
“If they don’t win this year — LeBron’s not getting any younger,” Pierce said. “This is going to be a big hit on his legacy.”
Pierce has already taken shots at James, claiming that he isn’t a top-five player of all time. He said that James could only make that list if he wins a title this season.
“If the Lakers don’t win a championship, let alone lose in the first round, I don’t want to hear none of this G.O.A.T. talk no more,” Pierce said.
Pierce’s criticism doesn’t come as a surprise. However, it is impossible to pin Tuesday night’s loss strictly on James.
The Lakers as a whole delivered a poor performance. Anthony Davis shot just 8-for-24 and the team went just 5-for-32 from 3-point range.
While losing in the first round certainly isn’t ideal for James and the Lakers, Pierce is really trying to help it fit his narrative about James.
After all, last night was only Game 1.
