During his 19-year NBA career, Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce had numerous battles with superstar forward LeBron James. According to Pierce, he would choose James in a must-win matchup over fellow superstar forward Kevin Durant due to his consistent dominance in critical moments.

Paul Pierce favors LeBron James over Kevin Durant, citing former’s clutch gene (Image credit: IMAGN)

Pierce and James faced off 69 times in the regular season and playoffs, with James securing a 35-34 edge. Pierce obtained the regular season advantage (21-18), however, James fared better in their postseason battles (17-13).

Meanwhile, Pierce and Durant never squared off in the playoffs, with Pierce securing a 9-8 regular-season edge. Nonetheless, the one-time NBA champion experienced both superstars’ greatness firsthand.

On Monday’s edition of FS1’s “Undisputed,” Pierce was asked whether he would take James or Durant in a winner-take-all game. He leaned toward his former postseason rival, citing the four-time MVP’s tendency to come up big when it matters most.

“If my life is on the line and I need this player to come up pretty spectacular, I gotta go with LeBron on that one,” Pierce said. “I’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve seen some games that I will never forget, that I probably still have nightmares about.”

Pierce recalled James’ iconic 45-point, 15-rebound performance on 73.1% shooting against his Celtics in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. The 20-time All-Star’s then-Miami Heat trailed the series 3-2, having lost three consecutive games. However, he willed his team to back-to-back victories en route to his first NBA title.

Pierce also referenced James’ 48-point showing against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the 2007 East finals. He famously scored the Cleveland Cavaliers’ final 25 points, including a game-winning layup, to take a 3-2 series lead, later making his first NBA Finals appearance.

As for Durant, Pierce noted that his statement games are more difficult to identify. He added that the one-time MVP’s then-OKC Thunder blowing a 3-1 lead to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference finals hurt his legacy.

Paul Pierce would take Kevin Durant over LeBron James in single shot win-or-go-home scenario

Paul Pierce may be more confident in LeBron James than Kevin Durant to lead his team in a must-win matchup. However, according to the Hall of Famer, he would still prefer Durant taking a last-second shot with a game on the line.

During Monday’s “Undisputed” appearance, Pierce clarified his stance on the two superstars.

“Last week I said, ‘Kevin Durant, shot of my life.’ Shot of my life, I’ll take it. But one game, I gotta go with LeBron,” Pierce said.

Pierce has regularly been critical of James since his 2017 retirement. However, based on his nuanced answer and other recent positive comments about James, the four-time champion appears to have earned his respect.