Dwyane Wade has fired back at Paul Pierce, who said in July that he had a better NBA career than Wade. Pierce made a bold comparison between his and Wade’s careers during an appearance on the It Is What It Is talk show last month, suggesting that if he had been in the same situation as Wade, he would have also won multiple titles.
Pierce claimed that he was a better offensive player than Wade, adding that his career was “unappreciated.” The Boston Celtics legend believes he would have won several championships had he played with LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Shaquille O’Neal.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce, Miami Heat & Boston Celtics Updates
“Put Shaq on my team, put LeBron and Bosh with me, I’m not gonna win one?” Pierce said. “Put me, LeBron and Bosh… we not gonna win a couple? For a long time, my skills went unappreciated because I didn’t get to play with a lot of great players. And then I got to play with KG [Kevin Garnett] and Ray [Allen] past their prime. Four years earlier, you put me, Ray, and KG together, you think we’re not walking away with three ‘ships?”
Wade, who won three NBA titles during his career on the Miami Heat, will join Pierce in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. The Marquette product finished his career with averages of 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists with the Heat, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade made 13 All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams and three All-Defensive teams and won one scoring title and one Finals MVP Award.
Wade played in five NBA Finals. He is universally recognized as the third-best shooting guard in NBA history behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce, Miami Heat & Boston Celtics Updates
Pierce, meanwhile, had a decorated career of his own. He ended his NBA career averaging 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists with the Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. Pierce made 10 All-Star teams and four All-NBA teams and won the 2008 Finals MVP Award.
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