Pierce had suggested Nets would take over the city.
New York Knicks star J.R. Smith says rival Paul Pierce is “bitter” as the war of words between his team and the Brooklyn Nets continues.
Last month, Pierce suggested that the Nets would take over the city following his arrival along with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko.
With Deron Williams and Brook Lopez already at the franchise, the Nets arguably have one of the strongest rosters in the Eastern Conference, and will be led by Jason Kidd as coach next season.
However, his comments were not welcomed by the Knicks, with point guard Raymond Felton hitting back by stating that they would never take over the city.
However, Smith, who signed an extension with the Knicks this summer, has now felt the need to wage in on the war of words and reiterated the point made by his team-mate.
“I just look at him as a bitter person just getting out of Boston. He doesn’t really know what New York is all about. He’s been playing in Boston his whole career,” Smith told ESPN New York.
“He just knows, just know that his words have consequences and he’s going to have to pay for them. They’re in one borough, we’re all over. So it’s like, you’re on an island and we’ve got the whole country. So it’s nothing really to even talk about,” he concluded.
The Knicks have acquired both Metta World Peace and Andrea Bargnani ahead of the new season, but many believe that with their direct rivals all strengthening their roster significantly, Mike Woodson’s men may have a tough time replicating their success from last year.
The Knicks and Nets will have to wait a while until they meet for the first time this season too, with the first clash taking place at the Barclays Center on December 5.
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