"Paul Pierce pooped his pants" - NBA fans jab at Celtics legend after claiming 10x All-Star was more influential than Steph Curry
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce credited LA Clippers star James Harden for influencing the NBA's offensive revolution more than Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry. However, NBA fans pushed back and questioned Pierce's thought process.
Teams' 3-point attempts continue to increase annually, with seven squads hoisting 40-plus triples a night this season. Curry, the NBA's all-time 3-point leader (3,779 and counting), and Golden State's fast-paced offense are widely heralded for kickstarting that trend.
However, according to Pierce, prime Harden on the Houston Rockets had more of an impact on the league's playstyle. On Wednesday's episode of "The Truth Lounge," Pierce noted that more players mimic the 10-time All-Star's shot-creation tactics than Curry's.
"Everybody talks about (how), 'Curry (is) the reason we play.' I think a lot of the reason we play like this is James Harden," Pierce said. "Everybody's shooting step-back 3s, everybody's going into their bag and getting to their 3. That's James Harden. That's not Curry."
Fans on X/Twitter scoffed at the notion, with many citing Curry's immense influence.
"Nobody has changed the game more than Steph. Stop it," @StephMuse_ said.
"Steph basically eliminated traditional centers and forwards, so no," @RussFcb wrote.
"No way he said this, especially since Curry is the reason a lot of teams like the (Boston) Celtics shoot a lot of 3s," @aykeepitabuck said.
Meanwhile, others took personal shots at the 2008 NBA champion.
"Paul’s opinion means zero,"@BrowBron_ wrote.
"Paul Pierce is a master of the bad takes and a hater of the game," @GiantOfTheHill said.
"Paul Piece pooped his pants," @Sleeper_Hoops wrote.
Paul Pierce's latest Steph Curry take seemingly contradicts his previous comment about two-time MVP's influence
Paul Pierce's remark about more players modeling their offensive playstyles after James Harden than Steph Curry seemingly contradicts one of his previous opinions.
During an appearance on FS1's "Undisputed" in March, Pierce said that Curry was more influential than numerous all-time greats. That includes Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and Lakers superstar LeBron James.
"Steph's influence on the game of basketball, he's influenced the NBA more than LeBron, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant," Pierce said. "... I watched the Celtics game last night. I think the first 10 shots were 3-pointers. Everybody thinks they can be Steph."
It's unclear why Pierce appears to have changed his view on the two-time MVP over the past several months. Nevertheless, the oft-maligned Hall of Famer continues to catch flak for opposing mainstream NBA opinions.