"The top five for me. I have to put Jordan, Kareem, Magic Johnson, LeBron and Bill Russell" - Paul Pierce gives his take on LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo's legacies once they retire
Paul Pierce recently spoke about the Boston Celtics and their 2022 campaign. So far, the Celtics have done a great job and made it to the biggest stage where they will face the Golden State Warriors. Winning it all will be tough, but the Celtics have a great chance of being victorious.
Pierce knows what it takes to win it all. His Celtics won an NBA championship back in 2008 and he was the leader of that team for over a decade. During his time on the "Hoop Genius Podcast," the 10-time All-Star also talked about his greatest players in NBA history.
Paul Pierce considers LeBron James one of the greatest players
Despite a lot of bad blood between Paul Pierce and LeBron James, Pierce still considers him one of the best players in the history of the league. The two players had a lot of amazing games against each other, and the Celtics had to go through LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers to win a championship in 2008.
These two players are competitors and they always put on a great show against each other. However, Pierce gives credit where it's due, and he believes that LeBron deserves a place in the top five. He also thinks that Giannis Antetokounmpo could end up on that list at some point, stating:
"I'm already thinking LeBron is a top five all-time player. Now, does Giannis have that ability? Man, it's gonna be tough to move one player out of that top five, but if anybody can do it, it's him, because of the way he affects the game on both ends of the court.
"The top five for me. I have to put Jordan, Kareem, Magic Johnson, LeBron and Bill Russell."
The former Celtic clarified that defense is very important for cracking the top five. After all, most of the players on his list were amazing defenders. He said:
"When I look at those top five, the only ones who affect the game on defensive end at a high level was Bill Russell. Of course, Jordan won a defensive player, Kareem was no slouch and LeBron's no slouch."
Giannis Antetokounmpo has a lot of potential
Paul Pierce praised "The Greek Freak" and his two-way dominance. Antetokounmpo won the championship ring last year and has established himself as one of the greatest players in the league. Pierce said:
"Giannis has been Defensive Player of the Year. I think he has the opportunity to be on multiple defensive teams, like M.J., and possibly be Defensive Player of the Year again. He's shown [he can be] a guy who can lead the NBA in scoring, be one of the top scorers in the NBA."
During his 19 seasons in the league, Paul Pierce was one of the best scorers. He could score from anywhere on the floor and his jumper was consistent and deadly. The Hall of Famer believes that Giannis can improve his jump shot and become even more dangerous on the offensive end.
GIANNIS STEPBACK THREE FOR THE TIE 🔥
https://t.co/wr5Yl4qyhk
"He's only scratching the surface on where his jumper can be at. He's starting to knock down threes and mid-range shots, and I think he's scratching the surface of where how great he really can be, and he's already been great over the last three or four years."