(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
LeBron James is considered one of the best basketball players of all time but what is the cause of his greatness?
According to Paul Pierce, he’s a big part of it.
Speaking on Friday’s “Undisputed,” per NBACentral, Pierce said that a playoff series between his Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat propelled James.
“I truly feel responsible for taking LeBron to that next level,” Pierce said.
Pierce specifically referenced James’ Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, when Pierce and his team pushed James to his limits.
Paul Pierce credits himself for LeBron’s greatness
“I truly feel responsible for taking LeBron to that next level.”
(h/t @awfulannouncing )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 12, 2024
Pierce admitted that he wasn’t the only Boston player guarding James but he certainly had a hand in trying to shut him down.
The series was 3-2 in Boston’s favor and the Heat had to win.
They were trying to move past their previous postseason, which saw them losing in a disappointing fashion.
With their backs against the wall, everything came down to Game 6 for the Heat.
They would eventually win that game and the next one too.
That led the way to them reaching the NBA Finals and easily beating the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For many people, this was the true beginning of James’ dominant reign in the league.
The Heat would win another Finals the following year and would be the most dominant team in the NBA.
And more and more people would speak of James as a generational talent who might be one of the best ever.
Pierce thinks he had a hand in that because of the obstacles he threw Miami’s way.
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