Cross-era · careers 29 years apart
Chris Paul vs Nate Thurmond
Chris Paul (2005-2025) and Nate Thurmond (1963-1976) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 29 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Chris Paul was the higher-volume scorer (16.8 points per game to 15.0); adjusted for era they scored at 1.71× and 1.36× their league average respectively; Chris Paul was the more efficient scorer (58.1% true shooting to 47.0%). Chris Paul holds the edge on accolades — 11 All-Star selections and the #33 all-time ranking to Nate Thurmond's #75.
Career averages
| Chris Paul | Stat | Nate Thurmond |
|---|
| 16.8 |
Points / game |
15.0 |
| 4.4 |
Rebounds / game |
15.0 |
| 9.2 |
Assists / game |
2.7 |
| 2.0 |
Steals / game |
0.1 |
| 0.2 |
Blocks / game |
0.6 |
| 46.5% |
Field goal % |
42.1% |
| 36.6% |
3-point % |
0.0% |
| 86.9% |
Free throw % |
66.7% |
| 58.1% |
True shooting % |
47.0% |
| 1,370 |
Games played |
964 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Chris Paul | Stat | Nate Thurmond |
|---|
| 1.71× |
Points vs era avg |
1.36× |
| 1.06× |
Rebounds vs era avg |
2.76× |
| 4.23× |
Assists vs era avg |
1.22× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Nate Thurmond's era.
| Chris Paul | Stat | Nate Thurmond |
|---|
| 114.9 |
Offensive rating |
— |
| 105.9 |
Defensive rating |
— |
| 9.0 |
Net rating |
— |
| 14.2% |
Usage % |
— |
| 30.6% |
Assist % |
— |
| 7.1% |
Rebound % |
— |
Playoff averages
| Chris Paul | Stat | Nate Thurmond |
|---|
| 20.0 |
Points / game |
11.9 |
| 4.9 |
Rebounds / game |
13.6 |
| 8.3 |
Assists / game |
2.8 |
| 1.9 |
Steals / game |
0.1 |
| 0.2 |
Blocks / game |
0.6 |
| 48.4% |
Field goal % |
41.2% |
| 36.9% |
3-point % |
0.0% |
| 84.6% |
Free throw % |
59.7% |
| 149 |
Playoff games |
81 |
Accolades
| Chris Paul | Stat | Nate Thurmond |
|---|
| 0 |
MVP awards |
0 |
| 0 |
Finals MVP |
0 |
| 0 |
Championships |
0 |
| 11 |
All-Star selections |
5 |
| 4 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
0 |
| #33 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#75 |