LeBron James Names Paul Pierce As His Biggest Rival

Maybe it’s because he’s only 13-12 in the playoffs against the Truth, or maybe it’s because every time they match up in the postseason, it ends memorably. There’s respect there, for the two of them play the same position in the same conference and are backed by fan bases that literally hate each other. So it’s not all that surprising that it’s not Kobe and it’s not Kevin Durant, either; When asked who his single biggest rival was, LeBron James admitted it was Paul Pierce.

It makes sense, even if Pierce no longer represents a viable threat to ‘Bron’s supremacy. Four times these two have met in the playoffs, and all four of them were classics. In 2008, Boston survived Cleveland’s one-man King James arsenal, winning a Game 7 that featured one of the most classic playoff duels of the last decade. LeBron finished that game with 45 points; Pierce had 41 and the W.

Two years later, they faced off again, with Cleveland looking like a surefire NBA Finals team. Instead, we all know what happened next: James completely fizzled out in Games 4 and 5 before throwing up the most criticized 27-point, 19-board, 10-assist triple-double in a Game 6 loss (his last game with Cleveland).

Pierce and James would meet again in back-to-back playoff series in the King’s first two years in Miami. The Heat won eight of the 12 games, even as the two star small forwards again had multiple memorable duels, highlighted by 2011’s Game 4. However, depending on what Boston does this summer with Pierce, we might’ve seen the last of this classic playoff rivalry.

via NESN.com

Who do you think is LeBron’s toughest matchup?

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