LeBron credits Pierce for elevating his game: 'Helped get me over the hump'
With the playing future of 37-year-old Paul Pierce currently up in the air, one LeBron James had some effusive praise for the 17-year NBA veteran.
"Obviously he gets a cliff note or a couple notes in my book as far as guys that helped me get over the hump or kept me where I was at the time," James told Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com.
James, of course, is referring to the postseason battles - either as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Miami Heat - he waged with then-Boston Celtics forward Pierce.
James' Cavaliers fell to Pierce's Celtics in the 2008 and 2010 playoffs, before he returned the favor with the Heat in 2011 and 2012 - and again with Pierce playing for the Brooklyn Nets last season.
Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals was one of those classics. Pierce and James battled back and forth, both scoring over 40 points in a Celtics victory.
"Obviously if he says he's not quite sure about next year, but he's Double-P man," James said. "I've been competing against him my whole career and our battles that we've had, our differences that we've had. But you know one thing about it, when you face him you're going to always compete.
"I knew I had to become much better individually. He's one of those guys."