LeBron James’ rise to being one of the greatest NBA players is well-documented, and Paul Pierce was one of his biggest adversaries during the early 2010s. While James has never acknowledged that Pierce pushed him to greatness, the latter believes he had a hand in pushing James "over the top."In an appearance on “The Schmo and the Pro” on Monday, Pierce claimed that he played a substantial part in making James the legend he is today (0:13):"I had a couple of playoff battles with Bron and he really brought out the best of me. But I will say, I brought out the best out of him, too."Pierce added (1:08):"When he came to Boston, Game 6, I think it was in 2012, and he gave me the 40-something piece, because I was about to go back to the finals, he played the game of his life. That's when he took the next step because I know I pushed him. ... And I helped him get over the top because I had to test his mental, his physical."Pierce was referencing the Boston Celtics’ Eastern Conference finals series against James and the Miami Heat in 2012. Down 3-2, the Heat faced a must-win Game 6 on June 7, 2012. James stepped up with 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists on 19-of-26 shooting, as Miami won 98-79.The Heat also won Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals and beat the OKC Thunder 4-1. While it is debatable if James sees Pierce’s impact on his career, the 2012 battle did pave the way for the four-time champion’s first title.Paul Pierce says upcoming season could be LeBron James’ lastLeBron James has been the face of the NBA for more than two decades now. While he is still playing at a high level, there have been ongoing discussions about whether he is going to retire after the upcoming season.People have divided opinions on the topic, with many claiming James would want a farewell tour, while others believe he would go out silently and focus on winning his fifth title.Pierce was asked about the topic in the same interview, to which he responded (0:26):“If I'm a betting man, I think this would be his last season. You know, I think he's played 21, 22 years. He's been the GOAT for so long. He's maintained the stats. We appreciate what he brought to the game and how he's held the mantle since Jordan left."Bron is one of the ones, we appreciate him. But you know, I think this is time.”While James has touched upon the topic in the past, he has yet to make it clear if this will be his final season in the NBA. He is in the final year of his contract with the LA Lakers. If he wanted, he could have switched teams or retired this season, but he instead decided to opt into his $52.6 million player option.Could this be his final season? Our guess is as good as yours.