Are the 2008 Boston Celtics responsible for LeBron James taking his talents to the Miami Heat in 2010? According to Paul Pierce, they just might be.
During his appearance on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Pierce participated in the longtime sports fan tradition of comparing present day teams with those from the past. In this case, the debate involved the current Celtics roster and the team that won the NBA title in 2008.
"I don't know. We don't know. It's damn close," Pierce said in response to Le Batard saying the 16-4 Celtics are better than his 2008 team at the 24:38 mark. "I ain't gonna lie, this team is really good. Really good."
Even if the 2008 Celtics, which centered around the superstar trio of Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, faced an opponent more skilled than them, the 10-time NBA All-Star believed his squad knew how to "break teams mentally," adding, "What we lacked in skill versus them, we had with will."
"I've been known to break a few wills, you know, sent some of them from Cleveland to Miami," Pierce said.
James would ultimately claim his first NBA championship in 2012, defeating the Celtics in a grueling seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals en route to the title.
