Whenever Paul Pierce and LeBron James are mentioned together, my mind goes back to Game 4 of the 2008 conference semifinals in Cleveland. That wild moment nearly slipped from memory until a clip resurfaced in 2024, highlighting the bond between LeBron and his mother, Gloria James. One Celtics legend probably wished it had stayed buried. It was a moment Paul Pierce likely feared for his life (kidding), an instance where a fierce rivalry was briefly misunderstood, thanks to LeBron’s mom. But Pierce has finally responded!

Seventeen years after that infamous encounter with LeBron’s mom, Paul Pierce finally offered a heartfelt apology. The longtime Celtics star reflected on his rivalry with LeBron James during a sit-down with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay. Sharpe delicately reminded him, “When LeBron’s mom beat you up, it bothered that man hard,” poking Pierce to open up about the lasting impact of that unforgettable ‘Mother’s Day’ moment. (The wrath of a mom was so scary, even Kevin Garnett broke his Big Ticket character and was begging for mercy for his best friend.)

On Club Shay Shay, the show revisited one of the most intense moments of Paul Pierce’s career, and perhaps even Kevin Garnett’s, which inspired Pierce’s heartfelt message to Gloria James. “Come on, mama, you know we love you,” Pierce said. “I’m just trying not to make the layup. I wasn’t trying to hurt him. I never tried to hurt LeBron.” The moment highlighted the mix of rivalry and respect that has defined their relationship over the years. LeBron knew it, Mama didn’t. The reason why King James had to step up and say, “Sit your a– down.”

Even Pierce once said, “I don’t think it is like or dislike, it is what it is, … he’s been on some great teams, I’ve been on some great teams, and we’ve had to face one another. After a while, it became a mutual respect for the things he’s done in this league and the things I’ve done in this league.” The respect truly is mutual, as James once said, “We understand how competitive each other are,… It’s always fun to go up against the best, and he’s one of them.” But Mamma James jumping to defend her son had a reason.

Ever since LeBron won his first championship in 2012, he has been a prime target for fouls, a risk that comes with being the league’s top superstar. While Gloria James may be accustomed to the game now, she was fiercely protective during LeBron’s early career, which makes it easy to understand why he shields Bronny with the same intensity. Paul Pierce spoke at length about his rivalry with LeBron on Club Shay Shay, yet he admitted that day it was the King who ‘saved his life’.

Paul Pierce defended LeBron James’ mom

When Gloria James came close to confronting Paul Pierce, one sentence from her son miraculously diffused the tension. “Sit yo a– down,” James said, clearly unhappy with outside interference in the playoff moment. But he soon realized it was his mother and immediately regretted his words. After the game, LeBron James apologized, saying:

“I told her to sit down with some language I shouldn’t have used. Thank God today wasn’t Mother’s Day, it was yesterday.” Despite the apology, the incident remained a topic of controversy. This was the behavior that got Tyrese Haliburton’s dad banned until the Finals for confronting Giannis Antetokounmpo. Yes, Gloria too got a lot of backlash herself, but it was Pierce who shut that down.

“She was just coming to (the defense of) her son – that’s how moms are,” Pierce said after the game. “My mom probably would have done the same thing. But I wasn’t worried. LeBron had her under control.” Pierce said his own mother, Lorraine, has had incidents from when he was in school of running onto the court. So he gets it. But back then, he was a little annoyed by all the messages about the incident when he was trying to focus on the playoffs.

That ‘Mother’s Day’ was memorable for another reason. The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Celtics 88-77. Bron had 21 points, Pierce had 13. Both went 40+ minutes without any ejections. The series was tied 2-2, and it almost looked like the Celtics lost the series.

They won Game 5, the Cavs forced Game 7 the next time, and the series ended 4-3 in Boston’s favor. They’d go to become the ’08 champions, and Bron would go to Miami. But his rivalry with Pierce would see no end.