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File this one under "reasons to love Paul Pierce."

At Washington Wizards media day Monday, Pierce's former teammate, Marcin Gortat, was asked what he learned from the future Hall of Famer.

Pierce and Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James developed a bitter rivalry as James developed into the face of the league while Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Co. consistently knocked James' teams out of the playoffs (or at least took them to the brink of doing so) en route to their own NBA Finals runs. Pierce is old-school NBA tough, so while this tidbit definitely is gold, it's not entirely surprising.

Pierce, of course, spent last season in D.C., helping lead the Wizards to the second round of the playoffs before signing a three-year contract with his hometown Los Angeles Clippers. But it seems his presence still hovers in the corners of Washington's locker room.

It did in Boston last season, where forward Brandon Bass -- who was a part of those final Pierce/Garnett runs -- refused to wear "LeBrons" when The King was his opponent (though he wore them the rest of the time).

Pierce made headlines at media day himself, noting that if the Clippers win the NBA championship this season, he'll likely retire.

h/t to MassLive

Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Image