“I’m living rent-free right now” - Dwyane Wade responds to Paul Pierce's claim about being better than him

Paul Pierce boldly asserted that his career was superior to that of Dwyane Wade despite having two fewer championships than the Miami Heat legend. 'The Truth' disrespected Wade's legend by citing how he has had superstars on his team to help him elevate his game and win several championships. For so long, the 'Flash' had kept his mouth shut until he appeared on the 'Dan Le Batard Show,' wherein he finally responded to Pierce's dissatisfaction with his career in a brutal, yet discreet way.

“Listen, rent is expensive in America, and I’m living rent-free right now. So let him keep… I like living rent-free,” Wade said.

Later in the discussion, Wade decided to be the bigger person by saying that the media should argue about his legend rather than him discrediting anyone. The 13-time All-Star also seemed content with how his 16-year NBA career panned out. emphasizing how he isn't concerned about contrasting it with that of other players.

“This is why I love the media. It’s documented. I don’t need to say anything. Everything is documented. So, I’ll let you guys go ahead and talk about all that stuff,” Wade continued. “I’m done playing the game of basketball. I’m not comparing myself to someone who’s not playing the game, or who is playing the game.”

The Flash on teaming up with superstars

It's a little unfair to suggest that Wade's association with Shaq, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh was the sole reason that contributed to his success in terms of the number of championships. Basketball is a team sport, after all, and Wade was amongst the few franchise cornerstones who willingly altered his role in each of Miami's championship campaigns.

On paper, some of the most talented teams have fallen short of winning championships. It is thus unfair to imply that Pierce may have increased his championship count if he had tagged along other superstars.

Wade exclaimed, in response to a similar query, that he only captivated 'his avengers' after acknowledging the reasons that were preventing him from achieving the ultimate glory. The 41-year-old continued by pointing out how the NBA storyline is misunderstood. Instead of presuming you can do everything by yourself, it's important to be humble enough to accept your shortcomings and try to address them.

“Everyone wanna act like we are the ones that did this, maybe we're the ones just players who decided to come together... It was our time, and we had our time, I got tired of that, LeBron got tired of that, I'm sure. That's why we decided to get together,” Wade concluded. “I went and got my Avengers... I'm happy with my career, and I don't know who's not happy with theirs."

Stats suggest Wade to be more consistent that Paul Pierce

Last but not least, Wade said he had no interest in the dispute over whether his body of work was superior to Pierce's since statistics alone speak loudly enough to convey the reality.

Even though Wade wasn’t considered an elite 3-point shooter, he managed to average 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 48.0% from the floor and 29.3% from deep.

On the other hand, Pierce logged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists over his 19 years in the league, with 44.5% shooting from the floor and 36.8% from deep.