Paul Pierce: Where Does the Truth Rank Among Boston Celtics All-Time Greats?

Paul Pierce passed up Larry Bird last night to become the Boston Celtics second all-time leading scorer. That's a pretty prestigious ladder to be climbing up. 

There are 28 Hall of Famers who have played for the Celtics. At least two are in the conversation for the greatest player in NBA history, Larry Bird and Bill Russell. 

There are others who are in the conversation for the top 20 players in NBA history. 

So where does Pierce fit on the list? Here are the top 10 players in Celtics history.

10. Ed Macauley

• NBA Champion (1958)
• 7× NBA All-Star (1951–1957)
• NBA All-Star Game MVP (1951)
• 3× All-NBA First Team (1951–1953)
• All-NBA Second Team (1954)

"Easy" Ed Macauley is the first great Celitc. He was in the first All-Star game and the first All-Star MVP. He was a member of the first championship team in 1958 as well. It's appropriate for him to take the first spot on our top 10 list as the 10th greatest Celtic in NBA history. 

9. Sam Jones

• 10× NBA Champion (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963,1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)
• 5× NBA All-Star (1962, 1964–1966, 1968)
• 3× All-NBA Second Team (1965–1967)
• NBA 25th Anniversary Team
• NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• No. 24 Retired by the Boston Celtics

Other than Bill Russell, Sam Jones wears more NBA Championship rings than any player in the history of the game. With 2,909 total playoff points he is the 15th best scorer in postseason history. 

8. Kevin McHale

• 3× NBA Champion (1981, 1984, 1986)
• 7× NBA All-Star (1984, 1986–1991)
• 2× NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1984–1985)
• All-NBA First Team (1987)
• 3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1986–1988)
• 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1983,1989–1990)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (1981)
• NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• No. 32 Retired by the Boston Celtics

Kevin McHale is the Celtics third-leading postseason scorer and fifth-leading regular-season scorer. In the 1986 postseason he averaged 25 points and nine rebounds on a broken foot and helped the Celtics to an NBA Title. 

7. Dave Cowens

2× NBA Champion (1974, 1976) NBA Most Valuable Player (1973) 7× NBA All-Star (1972–1978) NBA All-Star Game MVP (1973) NBA Rookie of the Year (1971) NBA All-Defensive First Team (1976) 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1975, 1980) 3× All-NBA Second Team (1973, 1975–1976) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1971) NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team No. 18 Retired by the Boston Celtics

Cowens was the first Celtic since the great Bill Russell to be named the league's Most Valuable Player when he scored 20.5 points per game and averaged 16.2 rebounds. 

The other thing Cowens and Russell have in common is they are the only two players in NBA history to win the NBA's MVP without being named to the All-NBA First Team in the same season. 

6. Robert Parish

4× NBA Champion (1981, 1984, 1986, 1997) 9× NBA All-Star (1981–1987, 1990–1991) All-NBA Second Team (1982) All-NBA Third Team (1989) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team No. 00 Retired by the Boston Celtics

Robert Parish was a part of what many consider to be the greatest frontcourt in the history of the NBA. He, along with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale were the "Big Three" before the Celtics had the second big three or the Heat had their version of the big three.  

Parish is the Celtics' second all-time leading rebounder and fourth all-time leading scorer. He is also their all-time leading shot blocker. 

5. Bob Cousy

• 6× NBA champion (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962,1963)
• NBA Most Valuable Player (1957)
• 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1954, 1957)
• 13× All-Star (1951–1963)
• 10× All-NBA First Team (1952–1961)
• 2× All-NBA Second Team (1962, 1963)
• NCAA Champion (1947)
• Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1950)
• NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NBA 35th Anniversary Team
• NBA 25th Anniversary Team

Bob Cousy was the architect of the modern day point guard. "The Cooz" was the first player to bring the combination of ball handling and passing skills to the game in order to create shots for teammates. His place in the top five is an easy one. 

4. Paul Pierce

• NBA Champion (2008)
• NBA Finals MVP (2008)
• 9× NBA All-Star (2002–2006, 2008–2011)
• All-NBA Second Team (2009)
• 3× All-NBA Third Team (2002–2003, 2008)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (1999)
• NBA Three-Point Shootout champion (2010)

It was hard for me to figure out how to place Pierce here. How do you measure him against teammates who played together and won so many rings together? 

His legacy is different than the others, who played together with other great players. Pierce, on the other hand, was the lone bright spot in Boston for years, and his loyalty to the team to stay and on a loser until they became a winner should count for him, not against him. 

That's why I give him the nod over Cousy. 

3. John Havlicheck

• 8× NBA Champion (1963–1966, 1968–1969, 1974,1976)
• NBA Finals MVP (1974)
• 13× NBA All-Star (1966–1978)
• 4× All-NBA First Team (1971–1974)
• 7× All-NBA Second Team (1964, 1966, 1968–1970,1975–1976)
• 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1972–1976)
• 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1969–1971)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (1963)
• NBA 35th Anniversary Team
• NBA 50th Anniversary Team
• No. 17 Retired by the Boston Celtics

The Celtics all-time leading scorer is their third-greatest player. He's second in team history in assists, fifth in rebounds and third in Win Shares. 

He is one of the truly great players in the history of the NBA. He is also the one Celtic  to win championships in two separate eras of team history. He won with both the "Russell" Celtics as well as with the "Cowens" team.    In 1974 he was the Finals MVP.

2. Larry Bird

• 3× NBA Champion (1981, 1984, 1986)
• 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (1984–1986)
• 12× NBA All-Star (1980–1988, 1990–1992)
• 2× NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986)
• 9× All-NBA First Team (1980–1988)
• All-NBA Second Team (1990)
• 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1982–1984)
• NBA Rookie of the Year (1980)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (1980)
• NBA All-Star Game MVP (1982)
• 3× Three-point Shootout champion (1986–1988)
• NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• No. 33 retired by Boston Celtics
• NBA Coach of the Year (1998)

He's Larry Bird! He is not just one of the greatest Celtics in NBA history, he is one of the five greatest players in NBA history. He was a truly complete player who did everything. He is the only play ever to retire with career averages of 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game. 

He averaged 24.3, 10.0 and 6.2. He didn't just "squeak" those numbers in. He is arguably the most complete small forward ever including LeBron James. 

1. Bill Russell

• 11× NBA Champion (1957, 1959–1966,1968–1969)
• 5× NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961–1963,1965)
• 5× NBA rebounding champion (1957–1959,1964–1965)
• 12× NBA All-Star (1958–1969)
• 3× All-NBA First Team (1959, 1963, 1965)
• 8× All-NBA Second Team (1958, 1960–1962, 1964,1966–1968)
• NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969)
• NBA All-Star Game MVP (1963)
• NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NBA 35th Anniversary Team
• NBA 25th Anniversary Team
• No. 6 Retired by Boston Celtics

Here are 11 reasons that Bill Russell is the greatest Celtic in team history—1957,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1968 and 1969. Do we really need to expand things beyond that. 

Russell was not just one of the greatest Celtics to ever play, he was one of the greatest players ever in the NBA. Beyond that he was one of the greatest men to ever put on the NBA uniform.

When President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it was a testament to what sort of greatness Russell possesses and displays as a human being.  His placement as the greatest Celtic ever should go unquestioned.