"I'm not buying that one": Paul Pierce disputes Kevin Durant defense against claim calling out his friendship with LeBron James

Paul Pierce isn't buying Kevin Durant's comments that players who share friendship compete harder against each other. Earlier, Durant posted a tweet responding to a fan's criticism of Durant-LeBron's friendly gesture on the court.

Pierce and LeBron shared years of rivalries when the former was with the Boston Celtics. They not only competed hard against each other but also didn't share a friendly term off the court. One could easily say that the Pierce-LeBron rivalry extended beyond the basketball court.

Despite competing against some of the best players in the world and having rivalries on the court, LeBron has largely maintained friendly terms with his rivals off the court. His rival-friendly relationship with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green is a testament to that.

The comments coming from Pierce are not surprising considering the era of basketball “The Truth” comes from. However, with the new age, NBA players have taken their talents beyond basketball courts. They are collaborating in business ventures and many other areas. However, they have never let their off-court camaraderie affect their competitive winning attitude on the basketball court.

LeBron and Durant faced each other on Saturday, November 11, the second day of the In-Season Tournament. In a close game, the Lakers cut their 10-point deficit by going on a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter and won the game 122-119.

LeBron scored a team-high 32 points, shooting 11 of 17 shots from the field and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. Durant scored a game-high 38 points, shooting 13 of 27 shots from the field and 4 of 6 shots from beyond the arc. Devin Booker sat out due to a calf strain.

LeBron James backs Kevin Durant by sharing MJ-Barkley picture

A picture of LeBron James and Kevin Durant sharing a light moment after the Suns vs. Lakers game went viral on X (formerly Twitter). In response to the picture, one of the fans commented,

"I hate this 'we all fiends' laughing during the game s***!!"

Durant didn’t like that comment from the fan and instantly responded,

"At some point, y'all non athletes gonna realize that friends compete harder against one another."

The fan also pointed to Michael Jordan’s assassin approach toward his rivals as compared to LeBron, who is friendly and amicable. LeBron backed KD up by posting a picture of Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan sharing a light moment during a game between the Suns and the Bulls.

LeBron’s response might not serve his intentions well. It is true that Barkley and Jordan were great friends but later fell apart due to their disagreements. Many also believe that the friendship between Chuck and MJ never existed at all.

LeBron and KD might be right in saying that their friendship doesn’t let them take the game lightly. However, for a fan, there is nothing better than the rivalry between two of the greatest players, gaping hard against each other fueled by a pinch of animosity.