by: Cole Riley
Just as Left Field for the Boston Red Sox is defined by all-time greats Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and Jim Rice, the Small Forward position of the Boston Celtics has a tradition of excellence.
Larry Bird, “the Hick from French Lick.” played 13 seasons in the NBA, all with the Celtics. He racked up impressive stats in his Hall of Fame tenure averaging 24.3 ppg, 10 rpg, and 6.3 apg. Along with the stats, Bird had the hardware to back up his legacy, with three championship rings, three MVP awards (all won in consecutive years), and 2 NBA Finals MVP awards, just to name a few. But this discussion is not solely based on the amazing career of Larry Bird; it’s to show that Paul Pierce, the current small forward for the 7-1 Boston Celtics is remarkably almost up to par with Bird.
Although Bird maybe the best small forward in NBA history - which he is - Pierce has put up similar numbers in his 12 seasons in green. Scoring an average of 22.8 ppg, and snagging down 6.3 rpg to go along with the 3.9 apg, Pierce is on the brink of surpassing Bird’s career stats. When you put that into perspective, it’s pretty incredible.
Now to try and compare the two, although the stats are nearly the same, is hard for me to do. Bird is a legend, and with his advantage on the championship rings, along with the MVP’s, he’s the clearcut better option - not that much of a surprise.
Pierce, who can become a free agent next year by opting out, has been loyal to this franchise, staying around long enough to reap the benefits, and winning his first championship in ‘08. Myself, and Celtics fans across the country hope that Pierce will stay a Celtic for life, because if so, we can eventually have a serious discussion of who’s better, Paul or Larry. For now, the Truth is - no pun intended - Bird is certainly the best small forward in Celtics ,and NBA history.
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