Charles Barkley vs Larry Bird
Charles Barkley and Larry Bird were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 8 seasons. On the floor, Larry Bird was the higher-volume scorer (24.3 points per game to 22.1); Charles Barkley was the more efficient scorer (61.2% true shooting to 56.5%); Larry Bird created more for others (6.3 assists per game to 3.9). Larry Bird holds the edge on accolades — 3 MVPs, 3 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #10 all-time ranking to Charles Barkley's #31.
Career averages
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| 22.1 | Points / game | 24.3 |
| 11.7 | Rebounds / game | 10.0 |
| 3.9 | Assists / game | 6.3 |
| 1.5 | Steals / game | 1.7 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 0.8 |
| 54.0% | Field goal % | 49.4% |
| 24.5% | 3-point % | 34.6% |
| 73.3% | Free throw % | 88.5% |
| 61.2% | True shooting % | 56.5% |
| 1,073 | Games played | 897 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Charles Barkley.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Larry Bird's era.
Playoff averages
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| 23.0 | Points / game | 23.7 |
| 12.9 | Rebounds / game | 10.3 |
| 3.9 | Assists / game | 6.5 |
| 1.6 | Steals / game | 1.8 |
| 0.9 | Blocks / game | 0.9 |
| 51.4% | Field goal % | 47.1% |
| 27.0% | 3-point % | 31.6% |
| 71.5% | Free throw % | 88.5% |
| 123 | Playoff games | 164 |
Accolades
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MVP awards | 3 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 2 |
| 0 | Championships | 3 |
| 9 | All-Star selections | 10 |
| 5 | All-NBA 1st Team | 9 |
| #31 | All-time GOAT rank | #10 |
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