"He is gonna die young", "Cooked that trash team": Fans divided at Paul Pierce's bold claim of Knicks not winning a title in his lifetime

Basketball fans were divited after NBA legend Paul Pierce claimed that the New York Knicks wouldn’t win a championship during his lifetime. Speaking on the "KG Certified" podcast on Friday, the former Boston Celtics star dismissed the Knicks' chances of contending for a title, even with the franchise making notable roster improvements this offseason.

When Kevin Garnett asked which New York team between the Knicks and the WNBA's Liberty would win a title first, Pierce didn’t hesitate in his response.

"Well, I don’t believe the Knicks will win a championship in my lifetime. So, it's got to be the Liberty."

Knicks fans didn't appreciate Pierce seemingly taking a dig at the franchise. Numerous fans slammed the one-time NBA champion online.

"oh. He is gonna die young," a fan wrote.

"Paul Pierce has the worst takes so NYK will probably win the title next season," another X user said.

One of the fans called Pierce a "hater" for his recent remark on the Knicks.

"Paul Pierce is a born hater."

Some fans sided with Pierce's viewpoint, with one even referring to the Knicks as "trash."

"Cooked that trash team."

"Paul Pierce has said many delusional takes in the past but this is NOT one of them. He knows ball," another fan said.

"The statement expresses doubt about the Knicks winning a championship. Given their past performance, many fans feel the same way," another X user said.

Paul Pierce's take came before Towns trade

Paul Pierce's bold prediction about the New York Knicks' chances of winning a championship came just before news broke of the franchise acquiring star Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster trade.

On Friday evening, the Knicks acquired Towns via a three-team trade and sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

While throwing shade at the Knicks, Pierce also hit out at the franchise's owner James Dolan.

"I don’t think in my lifetime. I’m saying they will, but I won’t be around to see it. I ain’t been around to see it; I mean, we’ve been around to see them go to the finals one time, and it was the lockout year," Pierce said.

"As long as Dolan is the owner, I just don’t think they’ll win." he added.

The Knicks have endured a 51-year championship drought, with their last NBA title coming in 1973. Last season, New York reached the second round of the playoffs but fell to the Indiana Pacers in a hard-fought seven-game series.