Paul Pierce’s Incredibly Snarky Tweet Targeted LeBron James and Sparked Fierce NBA Rivalry

LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce is one of the most entertaining feuds in recent NBA history.

In 2010, after James left Cleveland and formed the still-controversial Big Three in Miami, the truth took his battle with the Kings to a new level.

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“Excited to be bringing my talents to South Beach,” Pierce tweeted on November 12, 2010, “and now to Memphis.”

It was Pierce’s not-so-subtle jab at James, who infamously declared during the July 2010 “The Decision” television special that he would take his talents to South Beach.

Four months later, Pierce’s Celtics defeated James’ Heat 112-107 in Miami early in the regular season.

Pierce was extremely efficient in this victory, scoring 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting.

James performed well, scoring 35 points with 17 free throws, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals.

But Boston got the better of James again, continuing a trend that started when James was a young superstar with the Cavaliers.

“I’m not better than LeBron, but I can be any day,” Pierce said on the It is What It is podcast. “Do you want to go back to YouTube for Game 7 (of the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals)? I mean statistically, he left Cleveland, let’s talk about it.

“I was a big reason why he went to Miami. I scored 41 in Game 7 and sent him home. He was thinking, ‘You know what, I can’t get past the Celtics and Pierce.’ “

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James and Pierce battled it out in the 2008 playoff series.

Pierce was always talking big in 2010, but Boston has reached its peak with its Big Three.

The Celtics won it all in 2008 with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Pierce and others.

However, Boston was eliminated from the playoffs in the following years, including a disastrous loss to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals.

James and Miami are actually a better team than the Celtics were at the end of the 2010-11 season.

The Heat defeated the Celtics 4-1 in the second round of the playoffs before losing to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals.

This setback made James even more frustrated.

Miami has never been a king’s dynasty.

But after an early setback against Pierce, Boston began to go downhill and James won back-to-back world championships in South Beach.

The Celtics’ old rivalry with the Heat resumes Friday night when the Eastern Conference teams play at the start of the 2023-24 season.