A Top 75 player, Paul Pierce enjoyed the most success in playing for the Boston Celtics, including a championship and Finals MVP in 2008. As a prolific scorer, the veteran also possessed impressive footwork and leadership skills and was known for his clutch play.
Pierce played 19 seasons in the NBA, putting together a Hall of Fame career. Though he retired in 2017, the Celtics veteran remains associated with the game, but now primarily as a member of the media. The Truth was a regular contributor on ESPN before joining Fox Sports in 2024.
Recently, appearing on the Club Shay Shay podcast with Shannon Sharpe, Pierce was at his candid best during the three-hour-long conversation. Addressing various subjects, he revealed the list of current active players whose style of play resonated with him the most.
“I say Shai-Gilgeous cause he played below the rim. He’s not just blowing by people. His footwork, pivots and stuff. He just gets to the money,” said Pierce.
“I could say Jayson Tatum and Jimmy Butler, too, and the reason why I say Jimmy Butler is because he overlooked a lot. It ain’t all flashy, but he gets the point A to point B and we got the same mental type,” added the ten-time All-Star.
That said, Pierce has always been a great admirer of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and what he brings to the table. Paul has complete faith that Shai will turn the OKC Thunder into a dynasty.
SGA leading the Thunder
Shai undoubtedly is in the best phase of his career, showing his brilliance on an individual and team level. The Thunder guard led the league in scoring, averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds on 51.9 percent shooting from the field.
SGA’s individual brilliance did translate into team success as well, with OKC clocking 68 wins and earning the No. 1 seed. Many believe the Thunder has all the tools to be a dynasty. Echoing a similar statement, Pierce explained how the Oklahoma franchise was built for the long run.
“They play the right way. I like the way they play. I like Shai. Like the culture that they built over there is different. You know, when you watch them do the interviews, you see he got all his team with him. It’s crazy how young heis to be at this level right now. They can start a dynasty really. This team is built for a long run,” described Paul.
Entering the 2025-26 season, the Thunder are the top favorites to defend the crown, with their young core only getting better with time. At the same time, fans hope to see SGA carry on his MVP momentum and lead OKC to back-to-back titles.
Shai is truly unique
It has been a while since the league witnessed a player impact the game like Shai does, whether through his crafty scoring methods or basketball IQ. The Thunder guard also revived the disappearing mid-range game, at a time when most teams are focused on shooting threes.
Sticking to the fundamentals, SGA does rely on footwork and pacing to a large degree. Though many might not consider it a skill or even troll him for it, the Thunder guard’s ability to draw fouls is a thing of beauty. Something that also earned him the tag of a free-throw merchant.
Nevertheless, Shai remains unaffected by it, with the results speaking for themselves. While he may show glimpses of several NBA icons, SGA is indeed one of a kind.