The war of words between Brooklyn Nets' forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett with LeBron James has continued, this time with the two Nets players directing their words to James in response of his criticism of them leaving the Boston Celtics after they were highly vocal about Ray Allen leaving to join the Miami Heat a year ago.
"Tell LeBron to worry about Miami. It has nothing to do with Celtic business," Garnett told ESPN in response to James, who recently said that KG and Pierce should both apologize for criticizing Ray Allen for leaving the Celtics to join the Heat before they departed for Brooklyn.
Added Pierce: "I left Boston?"
Pierce was referring to the fact that the two forwards were traded to Brooklyn along with Jason Terry over the summer, and that they didn't leave by their own choice as Allen did. When Allen decided to sign with the Heat last offseason, KG and Pierce were both highly critical of the sharpshooter for doing so. According to ESPN, Garnett said that he lost Allen's phone number while Pierce said he hadn't forgiven him for leaving town.
The Nets defeated the Heat 86-62 in preseason action Thursday night at home.
James, who knows a thing or two about leaving teams, said that the two men should apologize now that they also don different uniforms.
"I think the first thing I thought was, 'Wow, Ray got killed for leaving Boston, and now these guys are leaving Boston,'" James said, according to ESPN. "I think it's OK; I didn't mind it. But there were a couple guys who basically [expletive] on Ray for leaving, and now they're leaving."
James is infamous for "the decision" to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers in order to go play for the Heat in the offseason leading up to the 2010-11 season. LeBron has been to the NBA Finals in all three seasons he's played with Miami and has won two championships while also taking home two Most Valuable Player awards in a Heat uniform.
LeBron admittedly can relate to making decisions to leave, so he was sympathetic towards Allen.
"I can relate to that -- you think so? I'm the No. 1 relater," James said per ESPN. "I've been through it all. I know all about it."
James indicated that it was short sited of Pierce and Garnett to be so critical of Allen leaving since it's the nature of the game and sometimes players are forced to move on.
"That's the nature of our business, man," James said via ESPN. "I don't know what Boston was going through at the end of the day. I know Ray had to make the best decision for him and his family and his career. Doc [Rivers, former Celtics coach], KG and Paul did that as well. You can't criticize someone who does something that's best for their family."
LeBron won't have to wait very long to face Pierce and Garnett as the Heat visit Brooklyn to take on the Nets Nov.1 in just the third game on Miami's schedule.
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