Bill Russell vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Bill Russell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander split the compared categories 3–3. The two never shared an NBA floor — Bill Russell's last season was 1968-69, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 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 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: scoring (31.1 PPG), playmaking (6.6 APG), shooting efficiency (66.5% TS%).
PPG
15.131.1
RPG
22.04.3
APG
3.16.6
TS%
46.9%66.5%
games played
96368
MVPs / All-Star nods
5 MVP · 11 All-NBA · 12 AS—
Per Game
| Bill Russell | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | |
|---|---|---|
| G | 963 | 68 |
| MIN | 26.9 | 33.3 |
| PTS | 15.1 | 31.1 |
| REB | 22.0 | 4.3 |
| AST | 3.1 | 6.6 |
| STL | — | 1.4 |
| BLK | — | 0.8 |
| FG% | 43.6 | 55.3 |
| 3P% | — | 38.6 |
| FT% | 56.3 | 87.9 |
Advanced
| Bill Russell | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | |
|---|---|---|
| PER | — | 30.6 |
| TS% | 46.9 | 66.5 |
| USG% | — | 33.6 |
| WS | — | 15.2 |
| WS/48 | — | 0.322 |
| BPM | — | 11.3 |
| VORP | — | 7.7 |
Accolades
| Bill Russell | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | |
|---|---|---|
| MVP | 5 | — |
| All-NBA | 11 | — |
| All-Star | 12 | — |
| All-Defensive | 1 | — |
| All-Star MVP | 1 | — |
Career percentiles
Scoring74100
Efficiency4294
Playmaking9196
Rebounding9966
Defense093
Compare Bill Russell to someone else · Compare Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to someone else