When Paul Pierce transitioned to broadcasting shortly after he officially retired from the NBA, he already established himself as one of the most polarizing analysts in the sport. That was primarily because of his eyebrow-raising takes and comments.

When “The Truth” confidently drew a parallel between himself and Luka Doncic back in 2021, it wasn’t just a flash of typical former-player bravado or an unexpected name drop to gain traction. For Pierce, it was a nuanced assessment of a shared unorthodox basketball archetype and skills.

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In an era dominated by otherworldly athletic guards and wings who utilize their explosiveness, Pierce truly believed that just like him back then, Doncic carved out his elite status through an entirely different arsenal: remarkable footwork, deceleration and an impeccable understanding of angles and leverage.

Though Pierce admitted that being a point guard, Doncic naturally possessed playmaking skills, which wasn’t one of his strongest suits during his time. Other than that, Pierce felt like Luka was almost like an international version of himself.

“He (Doncic) got a lot of me in him,” Pierce once said on ESPN’s “The Jump” in 2021. “No seriously, though. He looks slow, lethargic, but he always gets there. He’s a better passer, but as far as scoring ability, me and him have got a lot in common.”

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Fans didn’t like Pierce’s comparison

As expected, Pierce’s bold remarks did not go unnoticed. By brazenly comparing himself to a generational player like Doncic, the former Boston Celtics star got fans fuming.

Pierce’s claim quickly ignited a firestorm of criticism on social media, with a wave of modern NBA aficionados openly questioning his credibility as a mainstream media analyst. Most of them slammed Pierce’s comparison as delusional.

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They pointed out that he and Doncic were nothing alike, as the Slovenian star has already been playing like an MVP early in his career, something Pierce didn’t even touch during his playing days, except for the 2008 NBA Finals.

“Paul Pierce had 19 seasons to make the All-NBA first team, or get his name on an MVP ballot. Never did either. Luka did them both in year two,” an X user exclaimed.

“Every Paul Pierce quote discredits his career more and more,” one X user said.

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“Somebody revoke Paul Pierce’s right to professionally giving basketball opinions,” another commented.

On the other hand, somehow, there were also those who defended Pierce against his bashers. They argued that the context of his critique was actually nuanced.

“They both aren’t that athletic and use diff skills to score. It’s not wrong, you guys just hate Paul Pierce. Act like he’s not a HOF,” a fan emphasized.

“A lot of people who don’t know how good Paul Pierce was. Too many casuals,” another added.

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Luka is being compared to another Celtics legend

Pierce wasn’t the only one who once weighed in on Doncic’s game. Like “The Truth,” Cedric Maxwell is another former Celtic who found Luka’s style of play and set of skills quite familiar.

However, Maxwell didn’t see one bit of Pierce in Doncic. Instead, “Cornbread” passionately likened Luka to Celtics icon Larry Bird.

“You can quote me: This is Larry Bird reincarnated,” Maxwell said in 2021, via the New York Times. “This would be Larry Bird of the 2020s, exactly how he would play now.”

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For sure, some agree with Maxwell and dismiss Pierce or the other way around. Regardless, what would always remain a fact is that Doncic has already made a name for himself in the league and he would go down in history as one of the greatest international talents to ever grace the NBA hardwood.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.