Dwyane Wade or Paul Pierce? The debate over which player had a better NBA career continues to rage on.
Just prior to the start of the 2019 NBA playoffs, Paul Pierce claimed to be the better player of the two during a segment on ESPN’s “The Jump.” Since then, Pierce has faced plenty of criticism from fans and pros alike. In Wade’s final home game of the season, Miami Heat fans broke out a “Paul Pierce sucks” chant to express their disdain.
Ex-Celtic Ray Allen recently chimed in on the conversation, but didn’t necessarily take sides in the debate.
Instead, Allen said Pierce’s comments were anything but helpful.
“Like, it’s great that you love yourself but you’ve got to make sure, just pay homage to just pay homage to greatness when you see it,” he said on Sports Illusrated’s “SI now.” “And I think in that moment was an opportunity to just celebrate D-Wade’s career and what he’s meant to the NBA.”
In fact, Allen believes Pierce’s comments took away from his own successes.
“Paul had a great career, and there’s no taking away from the career that Paul had. But what he did was he entered the arena of now allowing people to start judging him and it took away from his greatness,” he said. “And I don’t want to take away from Paul’s greatness because he’s done great things in the league and he set standards and a tone.”
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Allen isn’t the only person to call Pierce out for his comments. Cris Carter, for instance, called his opinion “dumb.”
It’s also worth noting Pierce and Allen haven’t always been the best of friends after Allen left for the Heat in dramatic fashion following the Celtics’ 2008 championship. Although the two recently mended their rift, Allen wasn’t invited to Piere’s jersey retirement ceremony last February at TD Garden, nor did he attend the 2008 Celtics’ 10-year anniversary party.
For now, it doesn’t look like this debate is going away any time soon.
