Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce is never one to shy away from giving a hot take, and he's also known to always support his former team when he can. So, when Pierce was discussing the best American players in the league right now, it's not a surprise that he put Celtics star Jayson Tatum at the top of his list.

On KG Certified, a Showtime Basketball production with Pierce and fellow Celtic great Kevin Garnett, Pierce claimed that Tatum has reached another level in his game this season.

“The best American in the league is Jayson Tatum,” Pierce stated. “You look at his growth. You see what he's done over the past couple of years. I’m just looking around, and I think he’s passed Kevin Durant, I think he’s passed LeBron [James]. The only argument is Steph [Curry].”

On Monday night, Tatum did his best to prove Pierce right, dropping a season-high 45 points in a narrow overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Despite the disappointing defeat, Tatum became just the second player in franchise history to notch 45 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks in a game, joining  the legendary Larry Bird.

Aside from Tatum, there are other American-born players Pierce. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is nearing his 39th birthday, but is still averaging 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per outing. Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is also having a great run, averaging 31.4 points per game, which is currently the second-highest mark in the NBA.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who Pierce believes is in the conversation for best American player, has been on fire too. Curry has recorded at least 30 points in seven of his 13 games this season and has not scored below 23 points in any contest.

Overall, you can't go wrong when debating who the best American-born player in the NBA is. However, if Tatum is finally able to lead the Celtics to a championship this season, this back-and-forth might come to a close and it won't be hard to say Boston has the No. 1 player on this list.