Paul Pierce Passes Larry Bird on Scoring List, Securing Spot in Celtics Pantheon

Forget the numbers. Paul Pierce isn't better than Larry Bird was, even after surpassing him on the Boston Celtics' all-time scoring list as he did against the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night.

"The Truth" may have more points, but he still pales in comparison when it comes to rings—of which Larry Legend won three to his one—for a franchise that prides itself on championships by virtue of having hung more banners than anyone in NBA history.

Barring some sort of geriatric miracle, blockbuster trade or discovery of the Fountain of Youth, the 34-year-old wing man isn't likely win any more jewelry before he calls it quits.

Especially not with the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls lording over the Eastern Conference for the foreseeable future. 

But being better than Bird doesn't matter to Pierce's legacy, nor should it. Pierce's latest milestone simply punctuated what matters most—his standing as one of the greatest players to ever suit up for the C's.

And considering the awe-inspiring litany of Hall of Famers who've spent their careers in Beantown, that should be considered a tremendous honor in and of itself.

He'll never so much as touch Bill Russell as the patriarch of Celtics basketball, but who could? Only Michael Jordan can match Russell's five MVPs, and no one will ever come within shouting distance of his 11 titles. Of course, Russell didn't win all those championships by himself, nor would he have without the help of Bob Cousy, who featured on six of those title-winning teams.

Let's not forget about John Havlicek either, who won eight titles, carried the C's into the post-Russell era and still enjoys a nearly 5,000-point cushion ahead of Pierce on the franchise's scoring list. Or Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, who were both integral to the Celtics' three championship teams on which Bird played in the 1980s.

Hierarchically speaking, that would leave Pierce as perhaps the seventh or eighth best Celtic of all time, depending on your personal evaluation of franchise legends like Dave Cowens and Sam Jones.

What's important, though, is that there's absolutely no shame whatsoever in Pierce being considered "just" a top-10 Celtic—not with the unparalleled roster of legends who've played in Boston over the years.

Chronologically speaking, Pierce may be just as important as any of the aforementioned stalwarts. He served valiantly as the C's cornerstone through thick and thin, through good times and (mostly) bad. He stuck with the Celtics through their post-Bird malaise, despite having been born and raised as a fan of the hated Los Angeles Lakers.

Above all, he was the centerpiece of the team that, with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in tow, restored much of the luster that Boston had lost through years marred by the likes of Rick Pitino and Antoine Walker.

So forget about the numbers. Forget about how Paul Pierce compares to whom or in which cubbyhole he belongs in the Celtics' historic locker room. He's not chasing those ghosts, nor should he.

Pierce's legacy is and will be one of value and dedication to the Celtics in the new millennium, and in that regard, he's on par with anyone who ever dribbled a basketball in Beantown.

Follow @J0shMart1n