Boston Celtics: Where Does Paul Pierce Rank Among the C's All-Time Greats?

Paul Pierce missed his chance.

With the Celtics Game 7 defeat to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night, Pierce, already one of the all-time great Celtics, missed an opportunity to potentially move his name further up the ladder of the team's greatest ever players.

If the Celts had advanced and gone on to win their 18th championship, an argument could have been made to also advance Pierce in such a discussion. As it stands, though, he's still a top-five Celtic—one of the greatest to wear the green in team history.

Let's take a look at who joins him on that select list.

5. Bob Cousy

The "Cooz" represents the start of the Celtics' run as the most decorated franchise in NBA history from a playing standpoint, having starred as the team's point guard from 1950-1963 and being a primary member of its first six championship squads.

Cousy anchored the team for six years until Red Auerbach drafted Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn prior to the 1956-1957 season, not coincidentally, the first year the C's would win an NBA title. Cousy was the league MVP that year, averaging 20.6 points and 7.5 assists per game.

The C's would lose in the finals the following season, but that was then, last time Cousy would drop a playoff series in his career. 

He retired after the 1962-1963 season at age 35 having won his fifth straight title. For his career, he averaged 18.4 points and 7.5 assists per game.

4. Paul Pierce

Longevity is as important a reason as any for Pierce's inclusion on this list. When you're as good as he's been for as long, it's hard to ignore.

Pierce, soon to be 35, is a 10-time All-Star with a championship and a Finals MVP award on his resume. He's the second-leading scorer in Celtics' history, trailing only John Havlicek, with 22,591 points. He's played in 130 career playoff games and averaged 21 points per.

What Pierce lacks that most of the other all-time Celtics do not is multiple titles. He was one quarter away from a second one in 2010 and one win away from a chance at another one this year. 

Still, his career numbers and performance, from wins, game-winning shots, league accolades and so on, make him a no-brainer for this spot on this list.

3. John Havlicek

No one in Celtics' history has scored more points than Hondo—a 16-year Celt who won eight championships, more than any other Celtic save for Sam Jones and Bill Russell.

Havlicek must have thought NBA life was easy after his first four seasons, all of which ended with titles. He was the MVP of one of those finals, made 13 All-Star teams and scored 26,395 points in his career.

He also played more games than any other Celtic, averaged 29 points per game and was referred to by Russell in 1974 as, "the best all-around player I ever saw."

Clutch, tenacious, capable of playing multiple positions and as tough as they came. John Havlicek isn't just one of the greatest ever Celtics, he's one of the league's greatest players of all-time.

2. Larry Bird

With the Celtics in turmoil near the end of the 1970s, coming off their two worst seasons in franchise history, they drafted Larry Bird, and instantly, returned to the top of the NBA mountain.

On the heels of a 32-win improvement, the C's made it to the Eastern Conference finals in Bird's rookie year then won the franichise's 14th title a year later. It was the first of Bird's three championships.

Bird would also win three MVPs, two Finals MVPs and Rookie of the Year, make 12 All-Star teams and nine All-NBA first teams. He was only surpassed as the team's second-leading scorer by Pierce this past season—20 years after he retired.

His nickname is Legend.

1. Bill Russell

Widely considered the second-greatest player in the history of the NBA, Russell is the winningest basketball player ever.

He won 11 NBA championships, two NCAA championships and an Olympic gold medal. He averaged 22.5 rebounds per game in his 14-year career. His final title came as a player-coach. He was the reason blocked shots became an official statistic.

There will never be another player like Russell—the greatest Celtic of all-time.