Bill Russell vs Larry Bird
Bill Russell and Larry Bird split the compared categories 3–3. The two never shared an NBA floor — Bill Russell's last season was 1968-69, and Larry Bird debuted in 1979-80.
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 Larry Bird: scoring (24.3 PPG), playmaking (6.3 APG), shooting efficiency (56.4% TS%).
PPG
15.124.3
RPG
22.010.0
APG
3.16.3
TS%
46.9%56.4%
games played
963897
MVPs / All-Star nods
5 MVP · 11 All-NBA · 12 AS3 MVP · 2 FMVP · 10 All-NBA · 12 AS
Per Game
| Bill Russell | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| G | 963 | 897 |
| MIN | 26.9 | 38.4 |
| PTS | 15.1 | 24.3 |
| REB | 22.0 | 10.0 |
| AST | 3.1 | 6.3 |
| STL | — | 1.6 |
| BLK | — | 0.8 |
| FG% | 43.6 | 49.6 |
| 3P% | — | 38.0 |
| FT% | 56.3 | 88.5 |
Advanced
| Bill Russell | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| PER | — | 24.7 |
| TS% | 46.9 | 56.4 |
| USG% | — | 27.1 |
| WS | — | 67.4 |
| WS/48 | — | 0.200 |
| BPM | — | 6.8 |
| VORP | — | 36.0 |
Accolades
| Bill Russell | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| MVP | 5 | 3 |
| All-NBA | 11 | 10 |
| All-Star | 12 | 12 |
| All-Defensive | 1 | 3 |
| All-Star MVP | 1 | 1 |
| Finals MVP | — | 2 |
| Rookie of the Year | — | 1 |
| All-Rookie | — | 1 |
Career percentiles
Scoring7497
Efficiency4276
Playmaking9194
Rebounding9996
Defense091
Compare Bill Russell to someone else · Compare Larry Bird to someone else