Bill Russell vs Magic Johnson
Bill Russell and Magic Johnson split the compared categories 3–3. The two never shared an NBA floor — Bill Russell's last season was 1968-69, and Magic Johnson 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 Magic Johnson: scoring (19.5 PPG), playmaking (11.2 APG), shooting efficiency (61.0% TS%).
PPG
15.119.5
RPG
22.07.2
APG
3.111.2
TS%
46.9%61.0%
games played
963906
MVPs / All-Star nods
5 MVP · 11 All-NBA · 12 AS3 MVP · 3 FMVP · 10 All-NBA · 12 AS
Per Game
| Bill Russell | Magic Johnson | |
|---|---|---|
| G | 963 | 906 |
| MIN | 26.9 | 36.7 |
| PTS | 15.1 | 19.5 |
| REB | 22.0 | 7.2 |
| AST | 3.1 | 11.2 |
| STL | — | 1.8 |
| BLK | — | 0.4 |
| FG% | 43.6 | 52.0 |
| 3P% | — | 30.4 |
| FT% | 56.3 | 84.8 |
Advanced
| Bill Russell | Magic Johnson | |
|---|---|---|
| PER | — | 25.3 |
| TS% | 46.9 | 61.0 |
| USG% | — | 24.0 |
| WS | — | 89.4 |
| WS/48 | — | 0.240 |
| BPM | — | 8.6 |
| VORP | — | 48.1 |
Accolades
| Bill Russell | Magic Johnson | |
|---|---|---|
| MVP | 5 | 3 |
| All-NBA | 11 | 10 |
| All-Star | 12 | 12 |
| All-Defensive | 1 | — |
| All-Star MVP | 1 | 2 |
| Finals MVP | — | 3 |
| All-Rookie | — | 1 |
Career percentiles
Scoring7490
Efficiency4295
Playmaking91100
Rebounding9986
Defense085
Compare Bill Russell to someone else · Compare Magic Johnson to someone else