Paul Pierce recalls his nightmares, chooses LeBron James over Kevin Durant to start team

Team USA had a great performance in their first official Olympic match. Paul Pierce defeated the Serbian national team 110-84 and was excited about the return of Kevin Durant. KD had a near-perfect performance in his first game. But when it came to discussing who should start, Durant or LeBron James, Pierce went with The king.

“My life is on the line and I need this player, pretty spectacular. I have to follow LeBron in this. I saw it with my own eyes. I saw some games that I will never forget and probably still have nightmares about. I love KD and I know what he can do when it comes to scoring.”

While Pierce had a lot of love and respect for Durant, the fact that LeBron James gave him nightmares was the reason he went with him.

“But when I look back at Game 6 in Boston. The game of LeBron’s life, he delivered… I think it was 2007 against Detroit, when he was in Cleveland and he scored 45 points, 25 in a row. When they really needed it, he did it.”

‘The Truth’ marked Game 6 against Boston, calling it ‘The game of LeBron’s life’. James finished that game with a double-double, scoring 45 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. He shot an impressive 73.1% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.

Pierce even considered the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit. James took over the game in the fourth quarter, scoring 25 straight points and helping the Cavaliers win Game 5 against the Pistons.

Pierce promoted Durant for his comeback

Paul Pierce may have picked the Los Angeles Lakers star for one game to win it all. But when it came to his life being on the line, he picked Kevin Durant instead. After KD’s Paul Pierce was very enthusiastic about his play in his first match against Serbia and praised his play on the show.

“KD is just a baller. If I had one shot at life, who would I say? KD. Right?… KD don’t need no practice… He can just step on the field. He’s plug and play.”

In his first game back from injury, Durant scored 23 points in 17 minutes off the bench, shooting 5-5 from the three-point line and a near-perfect 8-9 from the field. So despite Paul Pierce going for one game with LeBron James, he chose KD for a single shot, even if his life was at stake.