The rivalry between Lebron James, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce dates back a long time. Now that jerseys have changed, the hate is still the same. The Brooklyn Nets acquired Pierce and Garnett, keeping them in the Eastern Conference and allowing them to meet up against James a few times each season. Now, the Miami Heat meet the Nets in the second round of the playoffs, adding another chapter to the long-time rivalry of players.
The second round of the playoffs will be the 26th time the three have squared off in the postseason. It is the fifth time Pierce and Garnett will meet James in seven postseason. James has the 13-12 edge after the Heat beat the Boston Celtics in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. Pierce says those kind of numbers mean a certain hatred is only natural, but notes it is nothing personal.
"I think it is more of a basketball thing," Pierce said, via ESPN.com. "We are aiming for the same prize and only one of you can get it, you know? I mean, it's going to be a dislike there. That's nothing that has carried over off the court. I think everything -- the dislike for me, LeBron, or Miami or Cleveland -- it's all based on what we are both chasing, and that is about it."
Dwyane Wade noted that he thought he really had seen the last of Pierce and Garnett after the Heat "buried" the Celtics back in 2012, but the two were traded to the Nets, giving them a shot at redemption now. The Nets are the only team to completely sweep the Heat this season 4-0 and they believe they have a real shot at matching up well against the two-time defending champs. Joe Johnson thinks Brooklyn can beat the Heat with physical play, something Pierce agrees with.
"I think we are unpredictable," Pierce said. "For the simple fact that even though Joe, he's our leading scorer, but on any given night we've got guys that can step up and be that guy. A lot of the contenders, you pretty much know what they present. Especially with Miami. It's going to be a lot of LeBron, a lot of Wade, a lot of [Chris] Bosh. With us, I think we have about five, six, seven guys that on any given night [can be the guy]. ... So I think that makes us tough to scout and very unpredictable."
Pierce notes the goal has always been to win a championship and they knew that meant meeting up with the Miami Heat at some point in the postseason. The veteran says that facing James and the rest of the Heat does not intimidate him and he believes that will only work towards Brooklyn's success in the series.
"I think that is a big part of my success, period," Pierce said. "I am not intimidated by nobody in the league. There are always going to be great players and there's always going to be challenges. That is one of my greatest strengths. I am not afraid to face challenges or any matchup in the league. At the end of the day, it is still the Miami Heat standing in your way of what you want to accomplish, and that's a championship."
