The NBA Summer League is going on, where rookies are busy in splashing their talents. Meanwhile, NBA legend Paul Pierce hilariously claimed that he could still put on a show if he suited up in the Summer League.
Paul Pierce Jokes He Could Still Shine in NBA Summer League
Pierce was one of the elite scorers of his era, building an athletic profile that includes 10 NBA All-Star selections, four All-NBA honors, an NBA All-Rookie First Team nod, one Finals MVP award, and an NBA championship. He averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game throughout 1,343 regular-season games.
After retiring following the 2016-17 season, Pierce was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. He has been away from professional basketball for nearly a decade, but the 48-year-old believes he could still make an impact in the NBA Summer League.
“I can get you a dub in summer league right now,” Pierce said in the “No Foul Given” podcast on Wednesday. “I can get you 20 in the summer league right now. I’ve been watching any team. You can put me on any team in the summer league right now, and I can get you a dub.”
Paul Pierce says he could go score 20 points in the summer league right now:
“I can get you a dub in summer league right now. I can get you 20 in the summer league right now. I’ve been watching, any team. You can put me on any team in the summer league right now and I can get… pic.twitter.com/ImY253CrEi
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) July 8, 2026
Pierce’s confidence is interesting, considering the typical NBA Summer League roster features players aged 21 to 23, meaning he would be more than twice their age. His comments were made in a lighthearted manner, but reaching the 20-point mark would still be a difficult task.
Pierce averaged just 3.2 points in 11.1 minutes per game over 25 appearances in his final NBA season with the Los Angeles Clippers while shooting 34.9% from beyond the arc. However, he believes his experience and basketball IQ would allow him to contribute.
“I’m in great shape right now,” Pierce said. “You get these little young rookies. I got the IQ, bro. Get out of the game right now. If you put me in close-out situations where it’s like a dribble penetration, you swing it to me, and it’s close-out.
“Three things are going to happen. I’m either going to make the shot, get fouled, or dime somebody for the assist off the dribble. So you have a playmaker. Somebody make plays, create, and get you out of the way. Yeah, I’m in that row right now.”
Whether Pierce could back up those claims remains up for debate, but his remarks have certainly sparked discussion ahead of an exciting Thursday slate in the NBA Summer League.
No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa of the Washington Wizards is set to face off against No. 2 overall selection Darryn Peterson of the Utah Jazz at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
