NBA news: Paul Pierce and Celtics saw LeBron James as 'soft'

According to former Celtic Ryan Hollins, Paul Piece and his Boston teammates felt that LeBron James was 'soft' in his time playing for the Heat.

During the 2011-12 NBA season, LeBron James, then with the Miami Heat, was viewed as the best basketball player in the world. However, according to former Celtic Ryan Hollins, who was a guest on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Paul Pierce and his Celtics teammates saw James as soft.

Hollins said:

“That was our championship to walk away with, until then LeBron was seen as soft … We thought he wouldn’t show up in fourth quarters, we thought he wasn’t the real dude and when things got tight, he wouldn’t be able to go out and make plays. And if Paul Pierce could stay out of foul trouble, Paul was just as good at creating his own shot in clutch moments.”

There was plenty at stake for James and the Miami Heat as they faced elimination heading into Game 6 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012. However, because of James's stellar performance in Game 6, the Heat ultimately earned the victory and tied the series at three games apiece. James exploded for 45 points on 19-of-26 shooting, 15 rebounds and five assists.

In Game 7 at Miami, James had another astounding performance. He recorded 31 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Heat to their second straight NBA Finals appearance. From there, the Heat claimed the 2012 NBA championship against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, James's first NBA title and the franchise's second.

Nevertheless, the rivalry between James and Pierce doesn't appear to be coming to an end anytime soon, even with Pierce now retired.