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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)
Back in April, ESPN parted ways with Paul Pierce. It was a much-talked-about affair, ending up in various conclusions drawn about the same. Months later, the Boston Celtics icon finally opened up about his departure from ESPN – a reason somehow related to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Even after his departure, Pierce only took to Instagram to thank his followers, ensuring everyone that all good things are on their way. The response to the whole scenario was always mixed. However, fans are now glad that Pierce finally gave them some answers about the incident.
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Is LeBron James the reason behind Paul Pierce’s ESPN departure?
In conversation with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Pierce was blunt and candid about his answer, not holding back. “I was done with them, anyway,” is what Pierce had to say. “It wasn’t a great fit. There’s a lot of stuff over there that you can’t say. And you have to talk about LeBron all the time.”
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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 26: Paul Pierce attends the 2017 NBA Awards at Basketball City – Pier 36 – South Street on June 26, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
The incident also happened after a small live Pierce did, where he was consuming alcohol while hanging out with friends and dancers. Jeff Schwartz, Pierce’s agent, was the one who suggested an apology. “Come on, I didn’t do anything illegal,” Pierce added.
“What happened has nothing to do with what I did on the court,” Pierce concluded.
Pierce and LeBron James’ personal history
While Pierce’s mention of James was in passing, the two have a complicated past. Their rivalry was spoken of when Pierce left James out of his all-time list, speaking of how the 36-year-old is yet to build teams up from the bottom. Kendrick Perkins ultimately revealed that James’ rookie season itself caused the issue. Pierce was unhappy with the attention the Akron-native got and trashed talked while spitting at the Cleveland Cavaliers bench.
Pierce had been a part of ESPN for years, starting with the company after his retirement in 2017. He was a constant fixture on shows like NBA Countdown and The Jump. Starting his career with the Celtics in 1998, he spent most of his time in Boston. He spent the final few years with the LA Clippers, and is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame soon.
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