During the live stream of the Lakers’ game against the Indiana Pacers during the In-Season Tournament Finals, Paul Pierce shared his current top 5 players. The list included Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Doncic. In case you couldn’t tell, perennial GOAT competitor and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James was not on Pierce’s list.

🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) / X

Well, not just the fans and netizens, but some league veterans were also upset with the snub. While many criticized the Boston Celtics legend for removing The King from his list, Jamal Crawford has a rather intriguing way of reading into the snub. In simple words, Crawford stated “He [Pierce] is salty.”

During the recent episode of the Broken Play Show podcast, the former Chicago Bulls guard revealed his opinion on the controversial matter. The 3x Sixth Man of the Year added, “Embiid, Giannis, Luca, Tatum, all are having… statistically, you can say, those five had a better season. But if it’s a playoff…nah he (LeBron James) is top five.”

It seems Crawford is also not in favor of Pierce’s list. Not just the legend but some netizens have also pointed out how Pierce’s opinion could be because of their rivalry. After all the public backlash though, The Truth tweeted that he was going to stick with his previous statement.

The fact that he snubbed the 4x champion out of his Top 5 didn’t sit well with his co-host and championship-winning teammate, Kevin Garnett.

Former Celtics Player Paul Pierce Sells Calabasas Home With Basketball Court for $8.7 Million | Architectural Digest

Kevin Garnett called out Paul Pierce for LeBron James snub

Both KG and Pierce have faced the 4x NBA champion during their careers. While the rivalry between Pierce and LeBron is well known to fans, Garnett also considered the Lakers stars as one of his strongest rivals.

After retirement, the legend has always praised his rival in his podcast, KG Certified. Well, fans always tune in to the show to watch their unfiltered take. To which, Garnett was quick to respond.

Speaking of LeBron’s game, he said, “Man get your a** out of here. I saw Joel Embiid have 15 points in the final game. Get your garbage a** out of here. The f*** you talking about bum.”