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WASHINGTON DC, FEBRUARY 20: Washington forward Paul Pierce (34), right, draws a foul on Cleveland forward LeBron James (23) as the Washington Wizards play the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Verizon Center in Washington DC , February 20, 2014 (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON DC, FEBRUARY 20: Washington forward Paul Pierce (34), right, draws a foul on Cleveland forward LeBron James (23) as the Washington Wizards play the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Verizon Center in Washington DC , February 20, 2014 (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers were touted as championship favorites after acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards last season. After all, a team consisting of LeBron James, Westbrook, and Anthony Davis is certainly expected to fight for the title.
However, the team struggled all season. Consequently, they failed to even make the playoffs. This urged fans to pressurize the team to make a major overhaul this off-season. Coach Frank Vogel was sacked and a couple of new faces were brought in.
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Moreover, James also signed a new deal with the franchise. While many consider LeBron to play a significant part in the team like last season, one of James’ arch rivals doesn’t think so.
It is none other than Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce. He raised doubts regarding LeBron James while taking the four-time NBA champion’s age into account. Pierce said, “For one, LeBron is a year older. Yeah, he averaged 30, but how much longer can he do that?”
Paul Pierce doesn’t see Lakers as ‘legit’ contenders due to LeBron’s age
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) September 22, 2022
"For one, LeBron is a year older. Yeah, he averaged 30, but how much longer can he do that?”https://t.co/Bb1kTa7ea4
Pierce and James shared a heated rivalry with each other ever since LeBron’s early days in the league. They had many memorable matchups against each other.
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However, Pierce had once asserted that the rivalry is only limited to the court. James and Pierce did not share any bad blood outside the court and ‘The Truth’ had explained that the rivalry exists solely because both players had similar ambitions.
How good was LeBron James last season?
Four-time NBA champion LeBron James was the silver lining for a lackluster Los Angeles Lakers team during the 2021-22 season. The 37-year-old battled injuries to help his team.
He averaged 30.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 8.2 rebounds during the season. Despite all the efforts from LeBron James and his teammates, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.
USA Today via Reuters
Mar 14, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) moves in for the dunk against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Although the team failed to achieve anything, James conquered a very significant personal record. He passed Karl Malone to become the player with the second highest points in NBA history. LeBron is only behind fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron is expected to surpass him soon as well.
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What are your predictions for the 2022-23 NBA season? Let us know in the comments down below.
Written by
Edited by
Veer Badani