Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Should Hear Less Criticism With Paul Pierce Out At ESPN

Paul Pierce was among the Miami Heat's biggest critics before being fired by ESPN Monday
Shandel Richardson|
Miami Heat Should Hear Less Criticism With Paul Pierce Out At ESPN
Miami Heat Should Hear Less Criticism With Paul Pierce Out At ESPN

The Miami Heat and their fans won't be among those around the NBA having much sympathy for former league great Paul Pierce. 

Pierce was fired from his job as an NBA analyst at ESPN for posting a wild video on social media last week. He went live on Instagram with dancers in the background while smoking and drinking. The video instantly went viral. 

Pierce tweeted a video of himself Sunday afternoon smiling. The caption read: “Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree.”

He became the butt of several Internet jokes but didn't seem fazed by the criticism. He later posted, “I can’t lose even when I lose I’m winning.” 

Pierce had worked for ESPN since 2017. During that time, he often took shots at the Heat. Most recently, he said the Heat would not make the playoffs after playing in last year's NBA Finals. Last year he was critical of Heat team president Pat Riley when he felt they were a contender. He's also said Miami underachieved during the Big Three era from 2010-14.

The Pierce-Heat feud goes way back to the 2010-11 season when Pierce began talking trash after his Boston Celtics defeated the Heat. At the time, the Heat were the most scrutinized team in the league because of the signing of LeBron James and Chris Bosh. 

After the win, Pierce tweeted, "It's been a pleasure to bring my talents to south beach now on to Memphis." It was a play off James' words when he announced he was joining the Heat. 

The comments drew the ire of Heat veteran Udonis Haslem, who responded by calling Pierce a "studio gangster." 

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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