During an appearance on “KG Certified: Ticket & The Truth,” former Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce offered his thoughts about Kyle Lowry as well as former Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups potentially becoming Hall of Famers and stated that Rajon Rondo was just as worthy.
“If Chauncey Billups and Kyle Lowry get in, then for sure Rajon Rondo will,” Pierce said. “Because I look at him on that level with them, and I think they have a legitimate chance to get in. You got guys like Kyle Lowry and Chauncey Billups get in, then I’ll say you gotta put Rondo. He’s on that level with them.”
Lowry is in the midst of his 17th NBA season and second as a member of the Heat after they acquired him in 2021. After starting his career with the Memphis Grizzlies and then moving on to the Houston Rockets, he emerged as a standout player with the Toronto Raptors and was a key part of their 2019 NBA title team.
In his NBA career, Lowry has averaged 14.7 points, 6.3 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Those averages developed slowly during his years with the Grizzlies and have dipped in recent years.
Rondo split last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers and has 16 years of NBA experience. The most prominent years of his career came in a Celtics uniform, helping Pierce and Kevin Garnett lead the Celtics to the NBA title in 2008.
After being traded by the Celtics in December 2014, Rondo bounced around the league, eventually playing for eight additional teams. For his career, Rondo has averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
Billups played for seven different NBA teams, most notably the Pistons, during a career that spanned from 1997 to 2014. He finished with career averages of 15.2 points, 5.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game.
Critics of Pierce will most likely note the bias of his opinion, given his past Celtics connection with Rondo. The fact that Pierce’s career began to wind down while Lowry’s talent began to emerge could also factor into the Hall of Famer’s opinion.
The Heat would like to see Lowry eventually become a Hall of Famer and hope that he improves his credentials while with the team. During his time in a Heat uniform, Lowry has averaged 13.4 points, 6.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
However, for now, the Heat and Lowry are focused on the immediate future, which is zeroed in on making another deep playoff run. Being part of another championship team will certainly help Lowry down the Hall of Fame path and perhaps cause Pierce to reassess his opinion.
