We've all heard about it by now. Paul Pierce actually thinks that he was a better NBA player than Dwyane Wade.

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1114322305478463488

Pierce definitely believed he was telling the truth during the segment for ESPN. The bewilderment on the faces of Brian Windhorst, Jalen Rose, and Michelle Beadles said it all.

Here's the transcript from Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports

Beadle: Who’s the better NBA player?

Pierce: That’s easy! I can say that off the bat. That’s me. If you give me Shaq, if you give me LeBron …

Jalen Rose: They did! It’s called the Big Three

Pierce: Yeah, we got that late. If you give me these guys earlier in my career …

Beadle: Let me ask you this. What would have been a perfect time for you, Paul? Let’s make sure we get this right.

Pierce: When I was 24 years old, if you give me Shaq. When I'm 24 or 25 you give me LeBron and Bosh, I'd be sitting on five or six championships. Easy.

But if we take a look at their respective careers, could Pierce have a case?

Let's find out.

Who you got: DWade or The Truth?

Numbers:

Paul Pierce had a slightly longer career than Wade did.

But since they both played 15 seasons for their first teams, we can make a more valid comparison by looking at just those seasons.

In his 15 seasons in Celtic Green, Paul Pierce produced the ff:

21.8 points per game

6.0 rebounds per game

3.9 assists per game

1.4 steals per game

He shot a respectable 44.7% from the field and 37% from three.

 

Meanwhile, here were Dwyane Wade's numbers in 15 seasons for Miami:

22.7 points per game

4.7 rebounds per game

5.6 assists per game

1.6 steals per game

He shot a solid 48.3% from the field but just 29% from deep.

Verdict – It's a Tie. The two franchise players definitely had varying strengths but were both equally productive throughout their careers.

Awards:

Pierce made an impressive 10 All-Star appearances and 4 All-NBA teams throughout his career. He was named on the All-NBA 3rd team three times and the All-NBA 2nd team just once.

Wade made three more All-Star teams than Pierce did, with 13 selections in total. He also was named to 8 All-NBA lists, with two 1st team selections. Wade even made the All-Defensive team thrice, to Pierce's zero.

Verdict – Point Wade.

Rings:

One of the most basic, yet most important arguments is championships won.

Paul Pierce has his 1 ring in 2008, while Wade has 3 rings from 2006, 2012, and 2013.

Although Pierce tried to argue having varying supporting casts, you still have to count them all the same.

Verdict – Point Wade.

You can't deny that both players had spectacular careers and will remain legends for their respective franchises.

But based on the facts, it's looking a lot like Paul Pierce needs to check himself before speaking up again.