NBA great Paul Pierce gave himself flattering NBA comparisons and drew a hilarious reaction from Jalen Rose
- In an ESPN segment, Paul Pierce said Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, and Luka Doncic all reminded him of himself.
- Pierce, a former great player, praised the three stars' scoring ability, toughness, and work ethic, comparing them to himself.
- Co-host Jalen Rose laughed out loud at the Doncic comparison, but went onto to praise Pierce.
Three of the 13 best players in the NBA today remind Paul Pierce of himself.
That's according to Pierce, who on ESPN on Sunday broke down the players that "remind me most of me."
The segment was a tad tongue-in-cheek, allowing the future Hall of Famer and notorious troll to rile up fan bases by comparing himself to today's stars. The segment was also filled with Pierce generously giving out compliments to himself by analyzing today's stars.
Here are the players Pierce named:
- Jayson Tatum: "Look at his silky-smooth game - he reminds me of a younger version of me. He gets the shot off any time he wants to."
- Jimmy Butler: "Killer toughness. That's something I believe I brought to the game, night in and night out. You knew it was gonna be a long night ... You weren't gonna out-work me."
- Luka Doncic: "If you watch his offensive game, there is not a spot on the floor he cannot get to. I know he's not the most athletic, he's not the fastest, but check this out: he gets his shot off every single time, any time he wants. And that was the best part of my game." Pierce added that Doncic is also clutch like he was.
Pierce admitted that the Doncic comparison would draw criticism. When he said Doncic's name, co-host Jalen Rose let out a hearty laugh.
When host Maria Taylor noted that Doncic averages nine assists per game to Pierce's 3.5 per game for his career, Pierce said the similarities were in scoring only.
Pierce has plenty of reason to brag: he was a 10-time All-Star, 4-time All-NBA member, and NBA champion who averaged nearly 20 points per game for his career. Rose even gave Pierce credit for the comparisons, complimenting Pierce's career.
Notably, Pierce failed to mention "humble" in his comparisons.
Watch the clip below: