Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce spent a solid portion of his prime NBA years going toe-to-toe with LeBron James, and now is offering the Memphis Grizzlies a helping hand.
After defeating the Lakers in Game 5 of their first-round series Wednesday night, the Grizzlies still trail Los Angeles, 3-2, with the threat of elimination still looming. The Grizzlies finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference while the Lakers clawed their way into playoff contention after escaping elimination in the play-in tournament.
But Pierce, who faced James on 30 occasions in the postseason, feels the Grizzlies have done themselves a disservice.
"U can't be garbage talking (expletive) about LeBron just saying tho gotta kill then talk (expletive)," Pierce tweeted.
Before the playoffs even rolled around, the Grizzlies were firing shots. Before the All-Star break, guard Ja Morant told ESPN that he wasn't worried about anyone in the league except the Celtics. Fast forward to round one and the Grizzlies have reduced from the big, bad talkers of the West to a locker room filled with individuals who hide from the media. As the saying goes, don't throw rocks and hide your hands.
"Talk to me if u wanna go at LeBron if u need advice I'm his biggest rival bro," Pierce also added.
While Pierce can certainly attest to the challenges of facing the soon-to-be Hall of Famer, there's a lot a whole lot he can do for Dillon Brooks, who foolishly called out James after Game 2.
"I don't care, he's old," Brooks said, according to Tim McMahon of ESPN. "... I don't respect no one till they come and give me 40 (points)."
Well, Brooks is nowhere near the same stratosphere as James. Therefore, challenging a four-time NBA champ while being an at best serviceable veteran, might lead to Memphis' demise and humble the still unproven Grizzlies.
