Inside The Heat

NBA Great Takes Responsibility For LeBron James Joining Miami Heat

Jake Elman

Mar 16, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Heat defeated the Sixers 84-78. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-Imagn Images
Mar 16, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Heat defeated the Sixers 84-78. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-Imagn Images / Howard Smith-Imagn Images
In this story:

Nearly 15 years later, it sounds like Miami Heat fans owe Paul Pierce for LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach.

During a Dec. 2 appearance on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Pierce implied he—and the late 2000s Boston Celtics as a whole—are responsible for James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010. Boston knocked Cleveland out of the postseason in 2008 and 2010.

Pierce made the comments when asked to compare the 2008 Celtics with this year’s Celtics team. The ’08 Celtics defeated the Cavs in the Eastern Conference semifinals before eventually knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.

“I’ve (been) known to break a few wills, you know, sent some of them from Cleveland to Miami,” Pierce said.

Celtics fans may not want to hear Pierce take credit for potentially influencing James to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. James and the Heat eliminated the Celtics from the 2011 and 2012 postseason.

Miami also defeated Pierce’s Brooklyn Nets in the 2014 Eastern semifinals.

Pierce isn’t the first member of the 2008 Celtics to suggest they’re responsible for James signing with Miami. During a 2019 appearance on The Bill Simmons Show, Hall of Fame big man Kevin Garnett said the Celtics “broke LeBron.”

You understand how he got to Cleveland. How he got to Miami, Bill? You remember that?” Garnett told Simmons, adding, “We didn’t give a f--- about LeBron. We didn’t fear LeBron, and we didn’t think he (could) beat all five of us.”

James won two titles with the Heat and reached the Finals all four years he played in Miami. Garnett and Pierce only won one title with the Celtics before joining the Nets in 2013.

So, who really won in the end? Sounds like Celtics and Heat fans have yet another thing to disagree on. 

MORE HEAT NEWS

ESPN Questionably Insults Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro in New Player Rankings

Report: Miami Heat Have ‘Kept Tabs’ on Struggling $90 Million Forward

Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.

Published
Jake Elman
JAKE ELMAN

Jake Elman is a veteran sports journalist and graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s journalism program. In recent years, he has covered the NFL for EndGame360 and served as the sports content lead for ExpressVPN. He also covered the Lane Kiffin years at FAU for the Palm Beach Post.