Larry Bird vs Dave Cowens
Larry Bird and Dave Cowens were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 4 seasons. On the floor, Larry Bird was the higher-volume scorer (24.3 points per game to 17.6); Larry Bird was the more efficient scorer (56.5% true shooting to 49.5%); Larry Bird created more for others (6.3 assists per game to 3.8). Larry Bird holds the edge on accolades — 3 MVPs, 3 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #10 all-time ranking to Dave Cowens's #51.
Career averages
| Larry Bird | Stat | Dave Cowens |
|---|---|---|
| 24.3 | Points / game | 17.6 |
| 10.0 | Rebounds / game | 13.6 |
| 6.3 | Assists / game | 3.8 |
| 1.7 | Steals / game | 0.8 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 0.6 |
| 49.4% | Field goal % | 45.9% |
| 34.6% | 3-point % | 0.7% |
| 88.5% | Free throw % | 78.5% |
| 56.5% | True shooting % | 49.5% |
| 897 | Games played | 766 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Larry Bird's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Dave Cowens's era.
Playoff averages
| Larry Bird | Stat | Dave Cowens |
|---|---|---|
| 23.7 | Points / game | 18.9 |
| 10.3 | Rebounds / game | 14.4 |
| 6.5 | Assists / game | 3.7 |
| 1.8 | Steals / game | 0.9 |
| 0.9 | Blocks / game | 0.6 |
| 47.1% | Field goal % | 45.3% |
| 31.6% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 88.5% | Free throw % | 76.4% |
| 164 | Playoff games | 89 |
Accolades
| Larry Bird | Stat | Dave Cowens |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | MVP awards | 1 |
| 2 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 3 | Championships | 2 |
| 10 | All-Star selections | 6 |
| 9 | All-NBA 1st Team | 0 |
| #10 | All-time GOAT rank | #51 |
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