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%).
Tale of the tape
15.1PPG19.5
22.0RPG7.2
3.1APG11.2
46.9%TS%61.0%
963games played906
Per Game
| Bill Russell | Magic Johnson | |
|---|---|---|
| 963 | G | 906 |
| 26.9 | MIN | 36.7 |
| 15.1 | PTS | 19.5 |
| 22.0 | REB | 7.2 |
| 3.1 | AST | 11.2 |
| — | STL | 1.8 |
| — | BLK | 0.4 |
| 43.6 | FG% | 52.0 |
| — | 3P% | 30.4 |
| 56.3 | FT% | 84.8 |
Advanced
| Bill Russell | Magic Johnson | |
|---|---|---|
| — | PER | 25.3 |
| 46.9 | TS% | 61.0 |
| — | USG% | 24.0 |
| — | WS | 89.4 |
| — | WS/48 | 0.240 |
| — | BPM | 8.6 |
| — | VORP | 48.1 |
Accolades
| Bill Russell | Magic Johnson | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | MVP | 3 |
| 11 | All-NBA | 10 |
| 12 | All-Star | 12 |
| 1 | All-Defensive | — |
| 1 | All-Star MVP | 2 |
| — | Finals MVP | 3 |
| — | All-Rookie | 1 |
Career percentiles
74Scoring90
42Efficiency95
91Playmaking100
99Rebounding86
0Defense85
Compare Bill Russell to someone else · Compare Magic Johnson to someone else