Perkins: Pierce's dislike for LeBron dates back to spitting incident in 2004

Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce recently claimed that LeBron James wasn't one of the top-five players in NBA history.

Retired big man Kendrick Perkins, who played alongside both players, says Pierce's take is "personal" and that his dislike for James stems from the attention the ex-Cleveland Cavaliers star received leading into his rookie year.

During a 2004 preseason game between the Celtics and Cavaliers, Pierce let his feelings toward James known.

"Paul is talking noise to the bench, right?" Perkins said on Wednesday's "Hoop Streams" with ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth and Amin Elhassan. "He's talking big noise to the Cavs' bench, and they're sitting over there, 'Bron and them, they're all sitting over there ... Paul actually spits over there at the bench, right? The ultimate disrespect."

Pierce was later fined $15,000 by the NBA, but the incident immediately escalated tensions between both teams as players were ready to fight following the game. "Pierce's teammates had to literally carry him away to prevent an altercation," wrote ESPN's Brian Windhorst in 2012.

"Ever since that moment," Perkins said. "LeBron James and Paul Pierce hate each other. They don't speak to each other. Even now, today."