Contemporaries · overlapped 18 seasons
Kobe Bryant vs Paul Pierce
Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 18 seasons. On the floor, Kobe Bryant was the higher-volume scorer (25.0 points per game to 19.7); Paul Pierce was the more efficient scorer (56.8% true shooting to 54.9%); Kobe Bryant created more for others (4.7 assists per game to 3.5). Kobe Bryant holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 5 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #6 all-time ranking to Paul Pierce's #52.
Career averages
| Kobe Bryant | Stat | Paul Pierce |
| 25.0 |
Points / game |
19.7 |
| 5.2 |
Rebounds / game |
5.6 |
| 4.7 |
Assists / game |
3.5 |
| 1.4 |
Steals / game |
1.3 |
| 0.5 |
Blocks / game |
0.5 |
| 44.5% |
Field goal % |
44.4% |
| 32.7% |
3-point % |
36.8% |
| 83.5% |
Free throw % |
80.8% |
| 54.9% |
True shooting % |
56.8% |
| 1,346 |
Games played |
1,343 |
Advanced metrics
| Kobe Bryant | Stat | Paul Pierce |
| 100.8 |
Offensive rating |
104.7 |
| 114.6 |
Defensive rating |
101.7 |
| -13.8 |
Net rating |
3.1 |
| 0.3% |
Usage % |
0.2% |
| 0.2% |
Assist % |
0.1% |
| 0.1% |
Rebound % |
0.1% |
Playoff averages
| Kobe Bryant | Stat | Paul Pierce |
| 25.6 |
Points / game |
18.7 |
| 5.1 |
Rebounds / game |
5.8 |
| 4.7 |
Assists / game |
3.4 |
| 1.4 |
Steals / game |
1.2 |
| 0.7 |
Blocks / game |
0.6 |
| 44.4% |
Field goal % |
42.2% |
| 32.6% |
3-point % |
35.1% |
| 81.1% |
Free throw % |
82.4% |
| 220 |
Playoff games |
170 |
Accolades
| Kobe Bryant | Stat | Paul Pierce |
| 1 |
MVP awards |
0 |
| 2 |
Finals MVP |
1 |
| 5 |
Championships |
1 |
| 15 |
All-Star selections |
10 |
| 11 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
0 |
| #6 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#52 |