Paul Pierce's hatred for LeBron James down to personal rivalry: Mario Chalmers

It is no secret that Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce does not fancy Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Pierce won the 2008 NBA Championship with the Celtics before falling short to LeBron' Miami Heat in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. Pierce had spells at Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers, before ultimately retiring in 2017. LeBron James, on the other hand, continues to reign supreme and his Los Angeles Lakers side are one of the favourites for the NBA Championship this season. 

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Mario Chalmers believes Paul Pierce vs LeBron rivalry was 'personal' 

Speaking on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, two-time Miami Heat Champion Mario Chalmers spoke about the Paul Pierce vs LeBron rivalry and offered his thoughts on why the Boston Celtics legend had such disdain for LeBron James. Chalmers believes that the Paul Pierce vs LeBron rivalry was something personal, but admits that Paul Pierce never got the respect that he deserved. LeBron James' Heat teammate said that Pierce never received the respect he deserved for his calibre and people never name him in top small forwards.

Mario Chalmers said that T-Mac, Scottie Pippen and James Worthy are named as the top and when LeBron James made the list, it might have stung Paul Pierce. The former Memphis Grizzlies man said that Pierce did as much as the rest of the names on the list, right from winning the ring and getting the numbers. Chalmers believes that the Paul Pierce vs Lebron rivalry is a bit of a personal match up between the two and it is not any dislike or hatred. 

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Paul Pierce vs LeBron rivalry: LeBron James stats

LeBron James has featured in 1,258 NBA games so far, averaging 38.4 minutes per game. The Lakers star is the third-highest points scorer in NBA history, scoring 34,087 points at an average of 27.1 per game. LeBron James stats include a field goal percentage of 50.4 per cent, while he has a 34.4 per cent three-point field goal percentage and has recorded an average of 7.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game.

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Paul Pierce vs LeBron rivalry: Paul Pierce stats

Paul Pierce played 1,343 games in NBA career before his official retirement in 2017. The Celtics legend averaged 34.2 minutes per game, scoring a total of 26,397 points in total at an average of 19.7 points per game. Paul Pierce stats include a field goal percentage of 44.5 per cent, while he has a 36.8 per cent three-point field goal percentage and has recorded an average of 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

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(Image Courtesy: nba.com)