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Kevin Durant backs Paul Pierce after wild best scorer debate: ‘I didn’t really…’

Originally posted on HITC | By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 9:42 AM ET

Paul Pierce isn’t one to shy away from bold statements, and his latest is no different: the Celtics icon has a case to be on the shortlist of the best pure scorers in NBA history.

The debate has been stirred by more than just Pierce’s own self-assessment. LeBron James recently declared his long-time rival Kevin Durant the best pure scorer ever, a statement that reverberated around the league.

Not long after, Pierce made his own pitch, telling fans he deserves to be in that conversation. But it was Durant himself who may have put the whole thing to rest with a simple message of respect.

Paul Pierce explains the difference between him and Kevin Durant

Despite standing nearly seven feet tall, Durant’s game has always defied the typical mould. Rather than dominating inside, he built a career on perimeter scoring, changing expectations for players of his size.

Pierce argued Durant’s physical tools gave him an edge, but stopped short of saying that made him a better pure scorer.

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“But Kevin, because he’s seven feet, he can get his shot off on anybody. He doesn’t really see defense. You know what I’m saying? That’s why he’s so efficient.

“There’s nobody at his height on the perimeter. You know, he changed the way we look at perimeter. He pretty much changed the game on the perimeter,” he told SPEAK.

He didn’t stop there, putting himself at the very top of the list.

“So I can see why LeBron was saying that, but shoot, you got to put me in that talk. When we talk about most equipped scorers now, come on, bro.

“I was probably the best pure scorer ever in the history of the game.”

Kevin Durant reacts to Paul Pierce’s outlandish claim

Pierce’s take traveled quickly across social media, and it didn’t take long to land back with Durant. True to form, KD opted not to fire back — instead, he endorsed Pierce’s confidence.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

“I didn’t really see a weakness in Paul’s game,” Durant wrote on Instagram. “I understand where his confidence comes from.”

In an era where debates like this often spill into personal jabs, Durant’s response was a welcome change — a nod to a great player without turning it into an argument.

Not everyone was as generous, though. While Durant offered respect, plenty of fans couldn’t resist taking shots at Pierce for putting himself in the elite company of all-time scorers.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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