Former Celtics Star Paul Pierce Feared 76ers Legend Allen Iverson on Defense

In the early 2000s, the Philadelphia 76ers possessed one of the most prominent stars in basketball. Although he would never achieve the goal of winning the NBA Finals, Allen Iverson was nothing short of spectacular during his first stint with the Sixers.

Iverson, also widely known as 'The Answer,' caused a lot of issues for players defending him. On any given night, the undersized guard could put his opponent on skates and make them a highlight on SportsCenter for undesirable reasons.

And recently, former Boston Celtics star, Paul Pierce, admitted that he had thought about that scenario quite a few times in his career. There weren't too many moments Pierce had to guard Iverson. Considering Pierce, who was six-foot-seven, played a different position, he typically didn't have to follow the six-foot Iverson on defense.

But in basketball, a defensive assignment can change on the fly. And oftentimes, Pierce got switched onto Iverson when the Celtics would face the 76ers. Admittedly, the former Celtics star feared 'The Answer,' when it came to playing defense.

"I didn't match up with him," Pierce recently said on ESPN's 'The Jump.' "But I knew I was in situations in pick-and-roll where I switched out on him. I'm not gonna lie; I was scared to death. I could play defense and all, but I knew I couldn't slide my feet with Allen Iverson. Every night when you looked at the SportsCenter highlights, he was crossing somebody up. All I know is when I switched on him, I was gonna give him that ole defense. I'm gonna let him do his move and I'm gonna let him go."

[RELATED: Allen Iverson Once Left Practice to Eat Taco Bell]

Selfishly, Pierce admitted that he didn't want to become the laughing stock of the NBA due to one of those famous SportsCenter reels where Iverson is crossing guys up on a daily. Fortunately for Pierce, that hasn't happened -- but if it did -- he shouldn't be too ashamed. Even one of the NBA's greatest got a piece of Iverson's crossovers before.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_