Cross-era · careers 26 years apart

Paul Pierce vs Wilt Chamberlain

Paul Pierce 1998-2016 · Forward Wilt Chamberlain 1959-1972 · Center

Paul Pierce (1998-2016) and Wilt Chamberlain (1959-1972) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 26 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Wilt Chamberlain was the higher-volume scorer (30.1 points per game to 19.7); adjusted for era they scored at 2.11× and 2.56× their league average respectively; Paul Pierce was the more efficient scorer (56.8% true shooting to 54.7%). Wilt Chamberlain holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 2 championships, 1 Finals MVP and the #8 all-time ranking to Paul Pierce's #52.

Career averages

Paul PierceStatWilt Chamberlain
19.7 Points / game 30.1
5.6 Rebounds / game 22.9
3.5 Assists / game 4.4
1.3 Steals / game 0.0
0.5 Blocks / game 0.0
44.4% Field goal % 56.8%
36.8% 3-point % 0.0%
80.8% Free throw % 50.1%
56.8% True shooting % 54.7%
1,343 Games played 1,045

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Paul PierceStatWilt Chamberlain
2.11× Points vs era avg 2.56×
1.37× Rebounds vs era avg 3.85×
1.68× Assists vs era avg 2.03×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Wilt Chamberlain's era.

Paul PierceStatWilt Chamberlain
104.7 Offensive rating —
101.7 Defensive rating —
3.1 Net rating —
0.2% Usage % —
0.1% Assist % —
0.1% Rebound % —

Playoff averages

Paul PierceStatWilt Chamberlain
18.7 Points / game 22.5
5.8 Rebounds / game 24.5
3.4 Assists / game 4.2
1.2 Steals / game 0.0
0.6 Blocks / game 0.0
42.2% Field goal % 53.1%
35.1% 3-point % 0.0%
82.4% Free throw % 46.6%
170 Playoff games 160

Accolades

Paul PierceStatWilt Chamberlain
0 MVP awards 4
1 Finals MVP 1
1 Championships 2
10 All-Star selections 13
0 All-NBA 1st Team 7
#52 All-time GOAT rank #8

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