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%).
Tale of the tape
15.1PPG24.3
22.0RPG10.0
3.1APG6.3
46.9%TS%56.4%
963games played897
Per Game
| Bill Russell | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| 963 | G | 897 |
| 26.9 | MIN | 38.4 |
| 15.1 | PTS | 24.3 |
| 22.0 | REB | 10.0 |
| 3.1 | AST | 6.3 |
| — | STL | 1.6 |
| — | BLK | 0.8 |
| 43.6 | FG% | 49.6 |
| — | 3P% | 38.0 |
| 56.3 | FT% | 88.5 |
Advanced
| Bill Russell | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| — | PER | 24.7 |
| 46.9 | TS% | 56.4 |
| — | USG% | 27.1 |
| — | WS | 67.4 |
| — | WS/48 | 0.200 |
| — | BPM | 6.8 |
| — | VORP | 36.0 |
Accolades
| Bill Russell | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | MVP | 3 |
| 11 | All-NBA | 10 |
| 12 | All-Star | 12 |
| 1 | All-Defensive | 3 |
| 1 | All-Star MVP | 1 |
| — | Finals MVP | 2 |
| — | Rookie of the Year | 1 |
| — | All-Rookie | 1 |
Career percentiles
74Scoring97
42Efficiency76
91Playmaking94
99Rebounding96
0Defense91
Compare Bill Russell to someone else · Compare Larry Bird to someone else