Paul Pierce Not Surprised By LeBron's Red Sox Ownership: 'Fitting For Him To Continue To Own Boston'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Paul Pierce and LeBron James had a nice little rivalry going for a while, though LeBron certainly got the better of The Truth in the latter stages of Pierce's career. Now, James has something else that Pierce wants.
James is adding "team owner" to his business portfolio, recently becoming a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox. The news was met with some surprise when it broke on Tuesday, given James is still dominating the NBA with the Lakers and has been spotted throughout his career sporting a Yankees hat. It's not the best look for the Red Sox that someone with such allegiances to two of Boston's biggest rivals now owns part of the team.
But Pierce isn't surprised about James' new business venture, and he certainly isn't surprised that it was the Red Sox that James wanted to be a part of.
"It doesn't surprise me because LeBron has continued to own Boston since my playing days," Pierce joked during a Zoom interview with WBZ-TV's Steve Burton. "How fitting for him to continue to own Boston. We can't wait for him to retire."
While he wasn't the biggest fan of James during his playing days, and occasionally makes a rash comment or 12 about LeBron's legacy in his second career as an NBA analyst, Pierce said it's great that James is paving the way for other athletes -- especially Black athletes -- to enter into the world of team ownership.
"You're seeing athletes making more money than they ever made in the past and have the opportunity to join these ownership groups," said Pierce. "I'd like to see more Black owners in the business, especially since a lot of the Black athletes have done so much to increase profitability and personal growth for a lot of these owners. Why not give them a chance to be part of these ownership groups?"
It's something Pierce would like to get involved in sometime in the near future.
"I would love to be part of an ownership group some day too," he said, with Burton hinting that Pierce could perhaps buy a stake in the L.A. Dodgers. "Ownership sounds good no matter where it is."
Catch more with Steve Burton's 1-on-1 with Paul Pierce -- including The Truth's take on Boston's struggles this season -- coming up on WBZ-TV Thursday night.