In the latest war of words between newly acquired Brooklyn Nets forward Paul Pierce J.R. Smith of the Knicks, Pierce shrugged off comments about the Knicks' guard, acting as if he didn't know who Smith was when reporters questioned him about the comments made by Smith, who called Pierce "bitter" in a recent interview.
Who? Who?" Pierce repeated to ESPN Thursday when asked about Smith's comments.
Asked again, Pierce once again downplayed Smith: "Who? Exactly. Who? Who are we talking about right now? Exactly. Who are we talking about? We are talking about nothing."
Pierce fired the first shot of this whole situation when he announced upon being traded to the Nets from the Boston Celtics in June after spending his entire 15-year career with the Celtics that he disliked the Knicks and that it was time for the Nets to take over New York, to which Smith took exception.
"I just look at him as a bitter person just getting out of Boston," Smith told ESPN last month. "He doesn't really know what New York is all about. He's been playing in Boston his whole career."
While Smith doesn't believe Pierce knows a thing about New York, Pierce definitely knows a thing about the Knicks having played in heated games against New York during his time with the Celtics.
"Everybody knows how much I disliked the Knicks when I was with the Celtics, but I think it's grown to another level," Pierce said per ESPN upon being traded to the Nets. "I think it's time for the Nets to start running this city."
Pierce's comments sparked a war that has had the New York City basketball world captivated as the rivalry between the Knicks and Nets has grown even deeper. Pierce said that the Knicks may own the majority of New York City's hearts right now, but it will all change soon enough in his mind.
Smith didn't care for what Pierce had to say.
"He just knows, just know that his words have consequences and he's going to have to pay for them," Smith told ESPN last month.
Added Knicks guard Ray Felton: "They will never take over the city. Because we've got 'New York' on our chest," he said referring to the Knicks' jerseys. "They've got 'Brooklyn' on their chest, and we've got 'New York.' They'll never take over the city."
The war of words may never end but their first clash in the 2013-14 campaign will be contested at Barclays Center on Dec. 5.
Both the Knicks and Nets are coming off of promising seasons. The Nets went 49-33 in their inaugural season in Brooklyn, good enough for second place in the Atlantic Division and the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference before the team fell to fifth-seeded Chicago in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.
The Knicks, meanwhile, went 54-28, finishing first in the Atlantic Division and second overall in the Eastern Conference before falling to the No.3 Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs in six games.
No matter what the letters spell out on the front of both teams' jerseys, they seem to carry New York City in their hearts as they each look to bring home the NBA championship in 2013-14.
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