Paul Pierce reacts to Ty Lue comparing SGA to MJ: 'Let's start at Paul Pierce first before we get to Jordan'

Tyronn Lue went so far as to compare Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Michael Jordan after the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar dropped a 45-piece on his Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. However, according to Paul Pierce, that performance was an anomaly for the Thunder guard, so it may be premature to conclude that he possesses the Jordan gene.

"Let's start at Paul Pierce first before we get to Jordan," the Hall of Famer said. "Lue, I love you; you're my boy. We came in the draft together. We were neighbors, rookie year. That's foul, Ty Lue. Come on, he may have give it to y'all, but that was one of the first times I've seen him take over a game like that and go for 40. I'm not so sure he got that Jordan mentality yet. I don't know. I got to see it a little more to say Jordan."

SGA's track record

Pierce and Lue joined the NBA in 1998 as first-round picks—the Boston Celtics drafted Paul at No.10, and Lue was selected by Denver and traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on draft night. They ended up playing 23 games against each other, with Pierce winning their head-to-head matchups 14-9.

That said, there's never been bad blood between the two, so no one should question Paul's motives for disagreeing with the Clippers coach.

Gilgeous-Alexander had scored 40 or more points 13 times before Monday, and the Thunder went 10-3 during those games. In some of those wins, SGA showed his MJ-like ability to deliver in the clutch. On November 16, 2022, the superstar guard hit a three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left as OKC defeated Washington 121-120. He finished with 42 points.