Did The Truth finally confess? Celtics legend Paul Pierce had previously mentioned that he and the players of his era were not afraid of King James, which also caused some tension. The two battled several times, and Pierce boasts a good playoff record against James. However, despite claiming he didn’t fear him, the Celtics legend might have slipped about his true emotions a few times while speaking of guarding the Lakers star… and he did it again.

The Truth Lounge had former Celtics player Rajon Rondo on the couch. Picking one of the most thrilling memories of playing alongside Rondo, Pierce shared how the former’s strategic planning used to cause him stress. It was the 2009-2010 playoffs. Rajon’s strategy was to stay 4th seeded so they could meet the Cavaliers sooner in the second round and face off against James. The 2x NBA champion was having a great time playing against the Celtics. He was great in battling against whatever defense trick the Cavaliers came up with. So, clearly he wasn’t scared.

However, Pierce knew better. The responsibility to guard James would have fallen on him, and he was worried about it. “Rondo was like, hell no, we want the fourth seed because we want the Cavs second round. They’re the number one seed. LeBron is having a sick year. He’s the MVP this year. And I’m sitting there like, because I got to guard. I got to guard LeBron,” Pierce said, leaving everyone laughing. 

“And when I look back at it, I see why. Because this probably was one of Rondo’s greatest series ever. I think he averaged a triple-double,” he added.

In the end, the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers. Pierce realized that it turned out great for Rondo, who had just recently signed a $55 million deal with the franchise. Rondo had the best series that season, being the best after James and Wade at the time, while James won the MVP honor that year. 

Paul Pierce crowns “scary” honor on LeBron James 

Pierce had faced LeBron James before that in the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals. Playing seven games, he defeated James’ team. Then he got the chance again in 2010 when the four-time NBA champ went to the Miami Heat and joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The chance for LeBron presented itself again in 2011 and 2014 when he defeated the Celtics and Pierce.

Earlier, the former Boston Celtics player snubbed James from his top 5 best NBA players list. However, he also hasn’t hesitated to offer praise when needed. The two faced each other in 69 games, with the former Cleveland Cavaliers star James averaging 29 points per game. The 4X NBA champ also holds a 35-34 record over Pierce.

Speaking on a show, the basketball legend expressed that James is one the toughest players to guard. “On any given night, he can posterize you at the age of 35. Still winning championships. You don’t want to end up on the waiting spots for LeBron’s posters. That’s a scary thought right there,” the Celtics legend said. So, Pierce’s stance on guarding King James is understandable.