Bill Russell vs Kawhi Leonard
Bill Russell and Kawhi Leonard split the compared categories 3–3. The two never shared an NBA floor — Bill Russell's last season was 1968-69, and Kawhi Leonard 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 Kawhi Leonard: scoring (27.9 PPG), playmaking (3.6 APG), shooting efficiency (62.9% TS%).
PPG
15.127.9
RPG
22.06.4
APG
3.13.6
TS%
46.9%62.9%
games played
96365
MVPs / All-Star nods
5 MVP · 11 All-NBA · 12 AS—
Per Game
| Bill Russell | Kawhi Leonard | |
|---|---|---|
| G | 963 | 65 |
| MIN | 26.9 | 32.1 |
| PTS | 15.1 | 27.9 |
| REB | 22.0 | 6.4 |
| AST | 3.1 | 3.6 |
| STL | — | 1.9 |
| BLK | — | 0.4 |
| FG% | 43.6 | 50.5 |
| 3P% | — | 38.7 |
| FT% | 56.3 | 89.2 |
Advanced
| Bill Russell | Kawhi Leonard | |
|---|---|---|
| PER | — | 27.9 |
| TS% | 46.9 | 62.9 |
| USG% | — | 33.5 |
| WS | — | 9.2 |
| WS/48 | — | 0.212 |
| BPM | — | 7.9 |
| VORP | — | 5.2 |
Accolades
| Bill Russell | Kawhi Leonard | |
|---|---|---|
| MVP | 5 | — |
| All-NBA | 11 | — |
| All-Star | 12 | — |
| All-Defensive | 1 | — |
| All-Star MVP | 1 | — |
Career percentiles
Scoring7499
Efficiency4286
Playmaking9180
Rebounding9987
Defense096
Compare Bill Russell to someone else · Compare Kawhi Leonard to someone else