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Paul Pierce takes shot at ESPN and LeBron James following departure

By Marcus Lamar

BOSTON, MA - JUNE 01: (L-R) Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics and LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat stnad on court in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on June 1, 2012 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 01: (L-R) Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics and LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat stnad on court in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on June 1, 2012 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /
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Paul Pierce just dropped 60 points on his former employer — finally opening up about his highly publicized breakup with ESPN. Pierce also took a shot at a rival from his playing days in LeBron James.

In April, ESPN fired Pierce after seeing a video of him smoking and drinking on social media.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Pierce told Chris Mannix, “I was done with them, anyway. It wasn’t a great fit. There’s a lot of stuff over there that you can’t say. And you have to talk about LeBron all the time.”

Upon hearing his comments, most NBA fans will file this in the cabinet of Pierce hating on LeBron James. And while that may have been the case historically, given their contentious relationship playing against one another, I do think Pierce is right.

Why Paul Pierce is right about ESPN and LeBron James:

The worldwide leader in sports is too beholden to LeBron James. The same way the NBA was with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s. And the same way the NFL was with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots the past 20 years.

But two things can be accurate at the same time. Like, love, or hate the guy, no one would argue that James isn’t the face of the NBA, and a majority of ESPN’s programming and coverage is centered on James being the main protagonist.

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ESPN has a right as a private company to centralize its focus on any player they deem makes the most sense from a marketing and financial standpoint. And until James retires, it will remain that way. You don’t abandon a business model that’s proven to work. You tweak it. You enhance it.

When James entered the NBA in 2003, it was evident early that the NBA and ESPN were “all in” on the self-proclaimed “Chosen One.” Sure, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’ Neal, Kobe Bryant, and other superstars filled the gap post-Michael Jordan’s retirement. But none of them came into the league with the fanfare, hype, or expectations that James had.

James checks all the boxes. His greatness speaks for itself. He is both the most hated and underappreciated player in the NBA.

Pierce shouldn’t feel left out, though. He isn’t the only one who’s made a living from talking about James ad nauseam.

Next. 50 greatest Lakers of all-time. dark

I’m looking at you, Skip Bayless.