Paul Pierce has guarded a lot of people in his 17 seasons, so his insights on their relative merits are probably worth something. Writing in Derek Jeter's Players' Tribune magazine, Pierce reflected on the five toughest players he's ever had to guard. Here's his list:
Kobe Bryant
Pierce's takeaway: "Kobe has the mentality of a basketball serial killer. He's going to come at you every single way possible and he's not going to let up."
Tracy McGrady
Pierce's takeaway: "He's a rare talent, and when you were up against him, you knew you were in for a tough game because he always had the green light."
Vince Carter
Pierce's takeaway: "Nobody wants to be on a Vince Carter highlight. In his prime, you knew he was going to get four or five highlights every game. And I'd always be thinking about that before we played against him."
LeBron James
Pierce's takeaway: "You can bet that after you guard LeBron, you're going to be sore all over for the next few days."
Carmelo Anthony
Pierce's takeaway: "Some great players will have one or two particular skills that make them special. But Carmelo can do everything, which puts you in a baaad situation as a defender."
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