WATCH: Ex-teammates Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett GO WILD debating over LeBron James’ Top 5 status in NBA

'The Truth" and "Big Ticket" get heated over LeBron's current status in the league.

WATCH: Ex-teammates Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett GO WILD debating over LeBron James’ Top 5 status in NBA

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce (Image credits - One Sports)

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett disagreed over LeBron James’ current status in the NBA. The two had an unpleasant argument during the In-Season Tournament Final. In the second quarter, Pierce and Garnett exchanged words about whether LeBron James would now rank within the top five. Surprisingly, Pierce notes that James is not a member of his top five list. Nevertheless, Garett was not convinced that he deserved a fifth place.

Nick Krygios, who was also present, started an argument asking whether LeBron James is still in the league’s top 5. Pierce nodded as Garnett said “yes”. Garnett challenged his fellow Celtics legend to name a player better than James. To conclude, Pierce added Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic.

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Garnett refused to believe that anyone on that list was better than Lebron. He said:

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Luka Doncic, The Joker, Embiid, Giannis, and Tatum. Shut up. Please stop with this nonsense

He argued that Doncic had never qualified for the Finals while Embiid had never scored 50 points in a Finals contest. According to him, “The Truth” should pay tribute to James, who has played in 66,000 minutes and remains effective at thirty-eight. On his part, Pierce clarified that their discussion was centered on what had occurred and not the body of work.

The 2004 NBA MVP rejected the notion. He said it’s calling it a “spade, a spade.” In response, Pierce joked about getting a LeBron Jersey for Garnett. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers easily defeated the Indiana Pacers 123-109. The two continued arguing loudly before they left the area. The Lakers won the inaugural NBA In-season Tournament and confirmed that James was the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament MVP.

Is LeBron James’ dominance and leadership a testament to his unmatched influence and resurgence with the Lakers?

LeBron James has led his team to victory for the umpteenth time. He was rightly adjudged the MVP of the tournament. He averaged 26.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting 56.8% from the field and 60.6% on 3s. All that heavy lifting got the Lakers through their group stage and Knockout Round with a perfect 7-0 record.

LeBron James
LeBron James (Credits: CBS Sports)

James’ presence keeps the Lakers team motivated both on and off the court, regardless of the stats. Here even his most ardent detractors have to concede that he gave it a shot. Even LeBron’s bitter opponent, analyst Skip Bayless noted(in Undisputed) that LeBron has shown incredible toughness after leading the squad against all odds and assisting them in defeating the Pelicans. He said:

He’s right in the middle of the league MVP. He’s playing like a kid right now.

Lebron James’s performances, in his opinion, made the In-Season competition famous. Anthony Davis stole the show during the finals. He put up 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, and four blocked shots and won the game for the Lakers.

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