Larry Bird vs. Paul Pierce: Comparing Each of the Boston Celtics Forwards

Larry Bird and Paul Pierce are the two best forwards in the history of the greatest NBA franchise of all time, the Boston Celtics.

While Larry Bird is one of the greatest players ever, and credited along with Magic Johnson in the 1980s for giving new life and popularity to professional basketball, Paul Pierce is perhaps the best Celtics "scorer" of all time.

Both are also good defenders and captains of the Green.

Let's compare Pierce and Bird, and see who has the edge in certain facets of the game.

Scoring

Paul Pierce is the best pure scorer in Celtics history. Yes, even better than Larry Bird and John Havlicek. 

This is not to say he's a better overall player, but Pierce is the most complete scorer in team history. He, like Bird, is an excellent three-point shooter and is tremendous from the free throw line, always shooting above 80 percent.

Where Pierce eclipses Bird in scoring talent is his ability to get to the basket and finish strong at the rim. He also does a better job of blowing by defenders and drawing fouls at the basket.

Rebounding

Larry Bird was so fundamentally strong in every area of the game, and rebounding was no different.

Bird was able to get 10 rebounds in a game against anyone because he boxed out, got position and just wanted the ball more than his opponent.

He wasn't the strongest guy, but just like Charles Barkley, he used great position and determination to grab boards from taller players.

Pierce is a decent rebounder, but he does not have the same skills or effect on the Celtics in terms of rebounding that Bird did.

Defense

Larry Bird was an underrated defender, and so is Paul Pierce. The thing about Pierce is he transformed his game late in his career to add one-on-one defending to his list of strengths. Not many players can do that.

With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007, the Celtics were a team committed to defense, both on team and individual levels.

Pierce has become a very good perimeter defender, often covering the opposing team's best perimeter player with Ray Allen.

Bird was a clever defender, and this intelligence helped him create steals that led to fast breaks.

Leadership

To be the captain of the Boston Celtics, you must be a leader. That's why players like Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Larry Bird were captains of the Green.

Bird stood up for his teammates and was very vocal on the court. Off the court, he was the glue that held the team together.

The same goes for Pierce though, and his experience today allows him to mentor younger players. He is the longest-tenured Celtic and was with the team when the franchise was one of the worst in the league.

Clutch Ability

Larry Bird and Paul Pierce are two of the more clutch players of their respective generations.

Bird hit numerous buzzer beaters in his career, and rarely didn't have an amazing game in the playoffs. His ability to break a team's back with a late-game three-point shot was deadly, and he always wanted the ball in his hands.

In Game 6 of the 1986 NBA Finals, Bird recorded a triple double in a rout of the Houston Rockets, helping the best team in NBA history, the 1986 Celtics, to their 16th championship.

Pierce has plenty of buzzer beaters to his credit too, and while he's not as dependable in the clutch as Bird was, he has risen to the occasion more often than not.

Nicholas Goss is an Oklahoma City Thunder, and NBA featured columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news. Follow @NicholasGoss35