Boston legend Paul Pierce explains why ‘nobody considers European players tough’ in the NBA

After a recent matchup between Minnesota and Chicago, Rudy Gobert complained about a play in which Alex Caruso bumped into his knees, causing him to almost fall to the floor in pain. However, the French player remained standing while he held his legs, suggesting that the Bulls star hit him intentionally. 

After this questionable situation, many fans and experts reacted to the play, siding with both sides of the narrative. A former star who opposed to the Wolves big man’s suggestion was Paul Pierce, who went on the latest episode of UNDISPUTED to criticise European athletes in general.

The 46-year-old not only openly downplayed the center’s intimidating threat, as he told the NBA to review the play and punish Caruso, but also said that French players in the NBA aren’t tough competitors.

Rudy Gobert wants the NBA to discipline Alex Caruso for this play

"I hope they look at this, because if they don't hold people accountable, I'm gonna hold them accountable myself," 👀

pic.twitter.com/goQtFZcbfc

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 1, 2024

“In NBA, nobody considers the European players tough, especially a player from France… No American players are respecting a tough guy from France or Europe in general. They are nice people, they like pastries, they are friendly… It’s just not something we respect as a tough guy,” said the Boston icon.

During this weekend’s clash, the play in question occurred during the final moments of the second quarter, when Monte Morris shot at the buzzer. As he failed his attempt, Caruso went under Gobert to take him out of the play, as he seemed to jar into the center’s right knee.

After the game, Minnesota insider Jon Krawczynski asked the athlete about the play. “Did Caruso go at your legs there at the end of the first half?” he confronted Gobert, to what he replied: “Yeah.”

“I had a knee injury a couple years ago on the same play and missed a month because someone ran into my knee. I hope they look at this, because if they don’t hold people accountable, I’m gonna hold them accountable myself,” the French star insisted.

Ex-Wizards star Gilbert Arenas’ idea to fix NBA’s defense is to ‘get rid of the Europeans’

Gilbert Arena’s views about the NBA world have become wildly popular in recent years, mostly due to his unfiltered opinions based on his 12-year career in the league. However, sometimes his thoughts are off the rails and you come to think if his believes are genuine, or purposely absurd looking for attention.

One of his most recent takes really makes you think about it, as the former Wizard guard was discussing the need for defensive improvements in the NBA. During his Gil’s Arena podcast, he ranted on about how European basketball players are the main reason why defenses around the league have lost their touch.

“I know what they can do. Get rid of all Europeans,” Arenas said during a recent episode. “You go to college to learn defense. What college do Europeans go to? They have no athleticism. They have no speed, no jumping ability. They are a liability on defense. They are 150 Euros in the league today… name the top defenders. None! Just Rudy [Gobert] and the Greek Freak. Other than that, they are offensive players.”

Maybe a wiser idea would be to suggest that the NBA rule book have changed in favor of offensive plays and the league has struggled to find solutions to help defenses build up their game. However, Gilbert has a different perspective.

“The NBA took away aggression,” said the ex-NBA star. “They took away aggression to open up the EuroLeague. When they first started getting here, it was too rough for them. They didn’t make it. Eventually, they softened the rules. They didn’t soften the rules for the Americans. They softened the rules to open up international.”