The LA Lakers’ recent win over the Milwaukee Bucks has done a lot of good for the franchise before the playoffs arrive. Not only did the win pump confidence into the team, but it has also kickstarted several conversations around the team’s postseason hopes. Recently, Paul Pierce went out on a limb to say that if the Lakers manage to bounce back from here on and end up winning the Championship, LeBron James would become the undisputed GOAT for him.
The NBA veteran said earlier today on FS1’s UNDISPUTED, that no other team has managed to bounce back from the ninth seed, and if somehow the Lakers manage to pull it off, LeBron would take the leading spot from Michael Jordan in the GOAT conversation.
He said, “If the Lakers get to the finals and they happen to win a championship this year, LeBron James would be the undisputed GOAT.” Interestingly, Pierce was saying all this to Skip Bayless’s face, who is notorious for his ‘hot’ takes regarding LBJ.
“If the Lakers win a championship this year, LeBron will be the undisputed GOAT.”
— @PaulPierce34 pic.twitter.com/dP6WJ1OgM6
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) March 27, 2024
Earlier this month, Bayless declared that he doesn’t value LeBron’s 40k-point record across 21 seasons as much as others do. The 72-year-old added, “Before 40k points, I had LeBron 9th on my all-time list. After 40k points, I still have LeBron 9th on my all-time list. Because playing longer does not make you better or more valuable.”
It’s quite obvious that he wouldn’t agree with Pierce on LeBron being the undisputed GOAT even if he lives up to the condition. But if we look into it, Pierce’s claim sounds like something that has little to no chance of happening.
Can Paul Pierce’s wish become a reality?
Although sports works on the ‘nothing is impossible’ philosophy, often stats and records work as an eye opener. So, while Pierce is comfortably praying for a comeback like no other, the record books suggest that we haven’t actually seen anything like it before. The lowest seed to ever clinch the NBA title is the 1994-95 Houston Rockets, who bounced back from being the sixth seed and ended up as champions.
Based on that alone, Pierce’s dreams might get shattered. As we analyze further, the lowest seed to reach the NBA Finals spot is tied between two teams, the 1999 Knicks and the 2023 Heat. Both the teams were eighth seed and then climbed their way up to the finals. Since, the lowest seed record belongs to the Rockets, the Lakers as ninth seed going up to win the title seems like a pipe dream.
