Dwyane Wade Takes High Road With Celtics Legend Paul Pierce

Dwyane Wade isn't looking to partake in a childish back-and-forth with Paul Pierce.

Dragged into an unnecessary and petty one-upmanship, Wade laughed off Pierce's past commentary -- which has piled up over the years -- about the fellow Basketball Hall of Famer. And to emphasize his point of not lighting a nonexistent fuse, Wade is being the adult in the room and empathizes with Pierce's feelings.

"Listen, Paul Pierce was one of the greatest players that we've had in our game," Wade told Sopan Deb of the New York Times. "And I think, you know, when you are a great player and you don't get the attention that you feel like your game deserved, sometimes you've got to grab whatever attention where those straws are. And Paul believes he's a better player than me. He should believe that. That's why he was great."

The two led some of the Eastern Conference's most cherished playoff battles, with Wade the face of the Miami Heat and Pierce the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics. Both men were cornerstones for their respective franchises, but that's not enough for Pierce -- for some reason.

Aside from the likes of Draymond Green (a subpar player, but a top-tier troll) and those on the internet, Pierce has received his flowers when it's mattered.

The Celtics retired Pierce's jersey number (34) in 2018, becoming the 22nd player in franchise history to be honored in the rafters. He also was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021. Therefore, it's questionable (to say the least) why Pierce seemingly takes every opportunity to prove the legitimacy of his basketball career.

It's been six years since Pierce's last NBA game. That's more than enough time to let it go and move on.