Cross-era · careers 28 years apart

Allen Iverson vs Bill Russell

Allen Iverson 1996-2009 · Guard Bill Russell 1956-1968 · Center

Allen Iverson (1996-2009) and Bill Russell (1956-1968) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 28 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Allen Iverson was the higher-volume scorer (26.7 points per game to 15.1); adjusted for era they scored at 2.83× and 1.32× their league average respectively; Allen Iverson was the more efficient scorer (51.9% true shooting to 47.1%). Bill Russell holds the edge on accolades — 5 MVPs, 11 championships and the #5 all-time ranking to Allen Iverson's #43.

Career averages

Allen IversonStatBill Russell
26.7 Points / game 15.1
3.7 Rebounds / game 22.5
6.2 Assists / game 4.3
2.2 Steals / game 0.0
0.2 Blocks / game 0.0
42.7% Field goal % 44.0%
31.2% 3-point % 0.0%
77.6% Free throw % 56.1%
51.9% True shooting % 47.1%
914 Games played 963

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Allen IversonStatBill Russell
2.83× Points vs era avg 1.32×
0.90× Rebounds vs era avg 3.67×
2.87× Assists vs era avg 1.96×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats aren't available for Allen Iverson.

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bill Russell's era.

Playoff averages

Allen IversonStatBill Russell
29.7 Points / game 16.2
3.8 Rebounds / game 24.9
6.0 Assists / game 4.7
2.1 Steals / game 0.0
0.2 Blocks / game 0.0
40.1% Field goal % 42.7%
32.3% 3-point % 0.0%
76.5% Free throw % 59.9%
71 Playoff games 165

Accolades

Allen IversonStatBill Russell
1 MVP awards 5
0 Finals MVP 0
0 Championships 11
9 All-Star selections 12
3 All-NBA 1st Team 3
#43 All-time GOAT rank #5

More comparisons

Want a different matchup? Use the interactive comparison tool.