Bill Russell vs Joel Embiid
Bill Russell and Joel Embiid split the compared categories 3–3. The two never shared an NBA floor — Bill Russell's last season was 1968-69, and Joel Embiid debuted in 2025-26.
The case for Bill Russell: rebounding (22.0 RPG), longevity (963 games played), accolades (5 MVP · 11 All-NBA · 12 AS MVPs / All-Star nods).
The case for Joel Embiid: scoring (26.9 PPG), playmaking (3.9 APG), shooting efficiency (60.5% TS%).
PPG
15.126.9
RPG
22.07.7
APG
3.13.9
TS%
46.9%60.5%
games played
96338
MVPs / All-Star nods
5 MVP · 11 All-NBA · 12 AS—
Per Game
| Bill Russell | Joel Embiid | |
|---|---|---|
| G | 963 | 38 |
| MIN | 26.9 | 31.5 |
| PTS | 15.1 | 26.9 |
| REB | 22.0 | 7.7 |
| AST | 3.1 | 3.9 |
| STL | — | 0.6 |
| BLK | — | 1.2 |
| FG% | 43.6 | 48.9 |
| 3P% | — | 33.3 |
| FT% | 56.3 | 85.4 |
Advanced
| Bill Russell | Joel Embiid | |
|---|---|---|
| PER | — | 24.7 |
| TS% | 46.9 | 60.5 |
| USG% | — | 34.1 |
| WS | — | 4.1 |
| WS/48 | — | 0.163 |
| BPM | — | 4.1 |
| VORP | — | 1.8 |
Accolades
| Bill Russell | Joel Embiid | |
|---|---|---|
| MVP | 5 | — |
| All-NBA | 11 | — |
| All-Star | 12 | — |
| All-Defensive | 1 | — |
| All-Star MVP | 1 | — |
Career percentiles
Scoring7498
Efficiency4271
Playmaking9185
Rebounding9993
Defense084
Compare Bill Russell to someone else · Compare Joel Embiid to someone else