Bill Russell vs Jerry West
Bill Russell and Jerry West were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 9 seasons. On the floor, Jerry West was the higher-volume scorer (27.0 points per game to 15.1); Jerry West was the more efficient scorer (55.0% true shooting to 47.1%); Jerry West created more for others (6.7 assists per game to 4.3). Bill Russell holds the edge on accolades — 5 MVPs, 11 championships and the #5 all-time ranking to Jerry West's #23.
Career averages
| Bill Russell | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 15.1 | Points / game | 27.0 |
| 22.5 | Rebounds / game | 5.8 |
| 4.3 | Assists / game | 6.7 |
| 0.0 | Steals / game | 0.1 |
| 0.0 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 44.0% | Field goal % | 47.4% |
| 0.0% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 56.1% | Free throw % | 81.4% |
| 47.1% | True shooting % | 55.0% |
| 963 | Games played | 932 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bill Russell's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Jerry West's era.
Playoff averages
| Bill Russell | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 16.2 | Points / game | 29.1 |
| 24.9 | Rebounds / game | 5.6 |
| 4.7 | Assists / game | 6.3 |
| 0.0 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.0 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 42.7% | Field goal % | 46.6% |
| 0.0% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 59.9% | Free throw % | 79.1% |
| 165 | Playoff games | 153 |
Accolades
| Bill Russell | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 1 |
| 11 | Championships | 1 |
| 12 | All-Star selections | 12 |
| 3 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #5 | All-time GOAT rank | #23 |
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