“He’s a BULLDOG” – Paul Pierce admits Carmelo Anthony is an AGGRESSIVE player to guard, more than LeBron James and Kobe Bryant
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce claims that Carmelo Anthony was one of the most aggressive opponents ever
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Ex-Celtics star Paul Pierce has come out saying that Carmelo Anthony was more challenging to guard than the like of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. On the “I Am Athlete” podcast, ‘The Truth’ praised Melo for his aggressiveness. “He a bulldog, he gonna be physical, he gonna post you up. Hit you in the shoulder and the chest you gonna be hurting after the game.”
“Melo, he going to make you feel this 30… You gonna be hurting“, claimed Paul Pierce. Carmelo Anthony did not have a career as illustrious as Kobe Bryant or the King, but his offensive impact speaks for itself, as he is top 10 all-time in NBA scoring. Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony faced off in two playoff series in 2011 and 2013, with Pierce’s Celtics winning in 2011 and Melo’s Knicks winning in 2013.
“I would rather guard LeBron, Kobe, or T-Mac before Melo,” admitted Pierce, with everyone in the room instantly calling this clip viral. Paul Pierce was a 10x all-star and a Finals MVP, which gives his admission even more weight as he has guarded the best of the best. Pierce feels Melo had a sneakily aggressive playstyle in contrast to his calm demeanor off-court.
Kobe Bryant also found Carmelo Anthony harder to guard than LeBron James
The ferocity of Melo’s offense was approved by late Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant, himself. Bryant posed Carmelo Anthony as more brutal to guard than LeBron James. He mentioned how challenging it was to match up with Melo in the second season following the Lakers’ 2009–10 NBA championship. According to Bryant, Melo was the hardest to guard in the entire NBA. “For me, yeah,” Bryant told in an interview in December 2012. “He’s always been a player that I enjoyed guarding the most. He was the most difficult because of his size and his speed.”
It was a statement made by one of the league’s most seasoned players. Bryant had previously won the NBA championship five times and was a 12-time All-Star. “Melo does it all and he’s as strong as a bull. For me, I weigh [180 pounds] soaking wet. Going up against that bull, man, it’s fun but it’s extremely challenging,” added Bryant.
Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant were both in the Western Conference during their prime years. They locked horns against each other often in the regular season and the playoffs. LeBron, however, played in the Eastern Conference, limiting his meetings with Bryant. Melo and Kobe met each other twice in the playoffs in 2008 and 2009, and the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets both times, eventually making the NBA Finals.
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Anuj Shrikanth Iyer
(290 Articles Published)