YardBarker- Future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce is already making his presence known with his new Los Angeles Clippers teammates. According to Complex, the newly acquired Pierce has already let his new teammates in Los Angeles know that wearing a pair LeBron James sneakers won't be tolerated. This "anti-LeBron sneaker" policy is nothing new from Pierce, as the former Boston Celtics great instituted the same rule with the Washington Wizards the previous year. Is it corny? Yeah. Is it over the top? Absolutely. However, the fact that Paul Pierce won't let those around him wear LeBron's sneakers is comforting. The NBA is a league where the players are so quick to be buddy-buddy. So quick to forget about rivalries and the like for an opportunity to build the next 'Big 3'. Well I, for one, love that Paul Pierce still hates LeBron James as much as he does. Sure, during the glory days players hatred for each other manifested itself on the court through physical play and the occasional fight, not sneaker boycotts. However, if I have to settle for a legend instituting a locker room wide blacklisting a superstar's shoes to get my share of hostility than settle is what I will do. It's the last bit of true animosity in the NBA, and the worst part is that LeBron rarely acknowledges it. Whatever, I will support Paul Pierce in all that he does, even if it does seem silly. Not only because I have always liked Paul Pierce, not only because he's a Clipper, but because he represents an age in professional basketball that, quite frankly, was much more enjoyable. The talent level may far exceed what it was back then, but nothing beats two teams (or players) battling tooth and nail not only to win, but to make sure their opponent, and nemesis, loses. Sometimes that bad blood is more important than the actual quality of basketball anyway. Here's to hoping the Clippers and Cavaliers meet in the finals, I can promise you that Paul Pierce is already looking forward to it.
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