Jason Williams didn’t just stir the pot when he was asked to rank the greatest small forwards in NBA history - he threw the whole list into the fire.
On the Hoopin’ N Hollerin’ show, the former NBA champion went with Kevin Durant over Larry Bird, then kept Bird behind LeBron James, and eventually landed on Paul Pierce as his fifth choice. That meant Julius Erving didn’t make the cut at all.
The exchange started simply enough when host Rone asked Williams to build his top five.
Rone: “As an exercise, give me your top five small forwards of all time.”
Jason Williams: “Was KD a small forward?”
Rone: “Yeah, so let’s count him as a small forward. Put them in order. Obviously, you’ve got LeBron first.”
Jason Williams: “Yeah.”
Rone: “Then would you go Larry Bird or KD?”
Jason Williams: “I’m going to go KD.”
Rone: “Then Larry Bird?”
Jason Williams: “Yeah.”
Rone: “Then Kawhi?”
Jason Williams: “Yeah.”
Rone: “Who do you have fifth?”
Jason Williams: “Paul Pierce is better than all those guys, to me, that you just named.”
When Rone pushed back and asked if Pierce was better than Dr. J, Williams doubled down.
Rone: “Paul Pierce is better than Dr. J?”
Jason Williams: “To me, yes. Give me Paul Pierce… Paul Pierce got stabbed 17 times and still came out there and busted your ass.
And Paul Pierce got picked behind me in the ’98 Draft. What motherfucking raggedy-ass general managers let that happen?
Tell me who those general managers were that took me before The Truth.”
Williams’ affection for Pierce makes sense when you look at what Pierce went through and what he became. Pierce was stabbed 17 times in a Boston nightclub attack in September 2000, underwent surgery, and still didn’t miss a game the next season. He went on to average 25.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists that year.
The two were also tied to the 1998 NBA Draft. Williams went second overall to the Sacramento Kings, while Pierce went 10th to the Boston Celtics after eight teams passed on him.
Pierce’s Celtics career turned into one of the franchise’s defining runs. He finished with averages of 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, along with 10 All-Star selections, four All-NBA nods, an NBA championship in 2008, and Finals MVP honors.
Still, leaving Erving out of the group is the part that jumps off the page. Dr.
J reshaped the small forward position with his athleticism and flair, and across the ABA and NBA he collected four MVP awards and four championships. He also won an NBA title with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983 and finished his career with averages of 24.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
Whether people buy Williams’ order or not, the debate is back in full swing.
In Other News...
Celtics May Already Be Zeroing In On Their Next Post-Brown Piece
After the Jaylen Brown trade chatter sent plenty of teams sniffing around Boston's future, the Celtics appear to be thinking less about another headline-grabbing swing and more about the kind of player who fits cleanly next to Jayson Tatum. San Antonio has been part of that conversation, but the Spurs have already shown they are willing to take a patient approach, and Keldon Johnson has emerged as the sort of useful, in-prime piece that can matter in a roster build even if he is not the loudest name on the board.
The Spurs have made a series of solid decisions lately, which is part of why they may be inclined to hold Johnson unless an offer truly changes the equation. For Boston, the appeal is obvious: if the goal is to keep shaping the roster around Tatum rather than chase another star for the sake of it, a player like Johnson becomes the kind of name worth monitoring closely as the market settles. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Had To Admit What The Knicks Title Meant
Jayson Tatums reaction to the Knicks title was the kind of honest, conflicted answer that makes sense for a player with Bostons competitive edge. He did not hide the fact that seeing New York celebrate stung from a basketball standpoint, but he also made clear there was a personal side to it, too, with friends on the other side of the trophy chase and a level of respect that goes beyond the standings.
For the Celtics, it is another reminder of how much the league has shifted around Tatum while he has been working through injuries over the past two seasons. Boston is also adjusting to the reality of Jaylen Brown no longer being in green after the blockbuster move to Philadelphia, and Tatums own focus now is on getting back fully healthy for the 2026-27 season, when the Celtics will be hoping he can again anchor everything that comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Make Another Quiet Move In Their High Stakes Money Game
Boston kept trimming around the edges of its books by waiving Dalano Banton, a move that clears a non-guaranteed $2.8 million salary and leaves the roster at 14 players. It is the kind of quiet transaction that barely registers on the floor but matters plenty in the front office, where every small cut can shape how much room the Celtics have to maneuver later.
The bigger significance is tied to the tax math, with Boston now positioned below the 2026-27 luxury tax threshold and in line to potentially reset repeater penalties down the road. There was a path where the Celtics might have had to consider a more meaningful salary move to preserve that flexibility, which is why this latest cleanup step fits into a much larger money game still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]