Paul Pierce is one of the greatest players and more specifically scorers of all time, with 26,397 career points to show for it. Pierce made the all-star team ten times from 2002 to 2006 and 2008 to 2012 to go along with an all-NBA second-team selection and an NBA championship with the illustrious Finals MVP in 2008.

The Truth was certainly a force to be reckoned with during his hall of fame career, and he had so many great duels against so many great players. But one duel that stood out from the rest was the rivalry between himself and his Boston Celtics and LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers/Miami Heat.

LeBron once said Pierce was his only legitimate rival, and Pierce agreed. Recently, a year after retiring from the NBA, Paul spoke up on the challenge of guarding the King.

Pierce talks about guarding LeBron James

Paul Pierce spent 19 seasons in the NBA, 15 of them being with the Boston Celtics then ending his career playing for the Clippers, the Nets and then the Wizards. In this time he had many battles with the man known as the ‘King’, not just in the regular season but more specifically the playoffs. Pierce spoke on his strategy to guard LeBron James, saying:

“The best strategy against guarding LeBron is to try to limit his easy opportunities first… in transition, when he’s out there running the lane and pushing full court, getting easy layups.

You look at those points, and you force him to take contested two-point shots, you have your best chance at guarding him. But he’s known he can make those tough shots also.”

Paul Pierce was also asked if LeBron is a trash talker, and what he has said in the midst of a game in the past. But Pierce says LBJ isn’t much of a trash talker, instead he lets his game and actions do the talking, saying:

“‘The little things he does when he hits a big shot (the clutch dance)… so that’s his way I think of trash talking.”

You can’t do anything about it

LeBron James is obviously one of the most unguardable players of all time, with many crossovers, poster dunks, and moves that have embarrassed defenders over the years, he has proven himself.

Being 6 foot 9, and almost 270 pounds of pure muscle, when LeBron attacks the rim or has his shot dropping there’s nothing you can do about it, as explained by Hall of Famer Paul Pierce:

‘There is a sense of helplessness, I mean you’re just in like the middle of his personal highlight tape when he’s knocking down shots and he’s in that zone.

There’s pretty much nothing you can do about it, just have to accept that greatness is happening. I know the feeling.”

Paul Pierce knows all too well. He once asked if he could guard the King during a Heat-Nets playoff series, and that very game LeBron dropped 49 on him.