Dwyane Wade and Paul Pierce could easily be the most evenly-matched skilled players. While the accolades might differ, stats will speak a similar story. So Paul Pierce stating back in 2019 that he was easily a better player than Wade during their careers did not go down well with the 3x NBA champion. So much so that even during his Hall of Fame celebration, he wanted to talk to Antoine Walker about this. Notably, Walker has shared time on the court with both Dwyane and Paul.

Appearing on an episode of ‘All The Smoke’, Walker recalled the time he went for Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame induction. “Why you ain’t defending me, man? You know, we from Chicago,” Wade had asked Walker during the HoF celebration, as recalled by Walker on the podcast. He further stated that he had told Wade back then that Paul was tough. And he believes that Pierce should have given him more respect rather than saying that he was better. “But that’s how confident Paul is when it comes to basketball,” Walker stated on the show.

This came after the 47-year-old was asked who among the two players was better. Though Walker did not mention any name, he expressed his disappointment over the lack of respect for Paul Pierce in the basketball world. He mentioned Wade to be a fan favorite, easily among the top five shooting guards of all time, and someone he loves to death. But he also spotlighted Pierce’s contribution as a player. “Playing, competitive, got game. Ain’t any tougher than Paul, bro,” Walker said.

However, this still leaves the question of who among the two players is better, unanswered. Meanwhile, the debate still open.

Dwyane Wade vs Paul Pierce: Is there a clear winner?

After his claims in 2019, Pierce had again sparked the debate in 2023 with his comments on the ‘It Is What It Is’ talk show. “Put Shaq on my team. Put LeBron and Bosh with me. I’m not gonna win one?… Put me, LeBron, and Bosh… we not gonna win a couple?… For a long time, my skills went unappreciated because I didn’t get to play with a lot of great players,” he stated while re-establishing why he is a better player than Wade.

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One cannot deny Pierce’s claims about the team factor as it plays an important role in winning the championship. Even Michael Jordan had credited Scottie Pippen for all six of the NBA championships, stating it would not have been possible without Pip. A lack of a strong team, however, does not prove Paul Pierce to be a better player than Dwyane Wade.

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If anything, the two players had their own strengths and were quite evenly matched. Wade averaged higher points (22.0) per game and had a higher field goal percentage than Pierce. But the ex-Celtics star averaged higher rebounds and had a higher three-point percentage than Wade. However, there is no such stark difference between the stats of the two players once you look at it from a broader lens. In fact, both players have won the NBA Finals MVP one time each. The only clear advantage Wade has over Pierce is the number of NBA championships (3-1).

As for the 55 games played between the two, Paul has won more regular season games (22-11), while Dwyane has won more games in playoffs (13-9). What is your opinion of the feud between the two players? Do you agree with Paul Pierce’s claims of being a better player than Dwyane Wade? Let us know your views in the comments.

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