Former Celtics Star Paul Pierce Feared 76ers Legend Allen Iverson on Defense

Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce recently admitted that he feared guarding Philadelphia 76ers legend, Allen Iverson.

In the early 2000s, the Philadelphia 76ers possessed one of the most prominent stars in basketball. Although he would never achieve the goal of winning the NBA Finals, Allen Iverson was nothing short of spectacular during his first stint with the Sixers.

Iverson, also widely known as 'The Answer,' caused a lot of issues for players defending him. On any given night, the undersized guard could put his opponent on skates and make them a highlight on SportsCenter for undesirable reasons.

And recently, former Boston Celtics star, Paul Pierce, admitted that he had thought about that scenario quite a few times in his career. There weren't too many moments Pierce had to guard Iverson. Considering Pierce, who was six-foot-seven, played a different position, he typically didn't have to follow the six-foot Iverson on defense.

But in basketball, a defensive assignment can change on the fly. And oftentimes, Pierce got switched onto Iverson when the Celtics would face the 76ers. Admittedly, the former Celtics star feared 'The Answer,' when it came to playing defense.

"I didn't match up with him," Pierce recently said on ESPN's 'The Jump.' "But I knew I was in situations in pick-and-roll where I switched out on him. I'm not gonna lie; I was scared to death. I could play defense and all, but I knew I couldn't slide my feet with Allen Iverson. Every night when you looked at the SportsCenter highlights, he was crossing somebody up. All I know is when I switched on him, I was gonna give him that ole defense. I'm gonna let him do his move and I'm gonna let him go."

[RELATED: Allen Iverson Once Left Practice to Eat Taco Bell]

Selfishly, Pierce admitted that he didn't want to become the laughing stock of the NBA due to one of those famous SportsCenter reels where Iverson is crossing guys up on a daily. Fortunately for Pierce, that hasn't happened -- but if it did -- he shouldn't be too ashamed. Even one of the NBA's greatest got a piece of Iverson's crossovers before.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA