Paul Pierce: Lakers' LeBron James Breaking NBA Scoring Record Solidified GOAT Status

Paul Pierce once had a longstanding rivalry with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, but he's willing to put that aside to give him the recognition he deserves.

Pierce recently said on KG Certified James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to set the NBA record for most career points is enough to earn the distinction of greatest player of all time.

"He might be the GOAT. I think that right there probably solidified it," Pierce said.

James scored 38 points in a loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday to bring his career point total to 38,390, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar's previous record of 38,387. Pierce explained his reasoning for declaring James the GOAT, pointing out that his record will likely be unattainable when his legendary career comes to an end.

"He put himself in a place where I don't see nobody passing him in our lifetime in scoring, for one," Pierce said. "Two, when you look at all his accolades and you look at the longevity, and then you look at the biggest part of it, was the expectations coming out of high school, that type of pressure. That's tough, because nobody in our league has ever had to deal with these type of expectations coming in."

Pierce and James had battled during the early part of the 38-year-old's career, as he had to face Pierce's Boston Celtics in multiple postseason matchups while he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. The Hall of Famer has not been shy to criticize James here and there over the years, and in 2020 he even said James is not a top-five player in NBA history.

Pierce is singing a different tune now. When he got done listing James' accomplishments, he felt there was no question of where he stands among the greats.

"I gotta probably put him up there at GOAT status. It's undeniable," Pierce said.