Larry Bird vs Julius Erving
Larry Bird and Julius Erving were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 8 seasons. On the floor, Larry Bird was the higher-volume scorer (24.3 points per game to 22.0); Larry Bird was the more efficient scorer (56.5% true shooting to 55.8%); 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 Julius Erving's #21.
Career averages
| Larry Bird | Stat | Julius Erving |
|---|---|---|
| 24.3 | Points / game | 22.0 |
| 10.0 | Rebounds / game | 6.7 |
| 6.3 | Assists / game | 3.9 |
| 1.7 | Steals / game | 1.8 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 1.5 |
| 49.4% | Field goal % | 50.6% |
| 34.6% | 3-point % | 18.6% |
| 88.5% | Free throw % | 77.9% |
| 56.5% | True shooting % | 55.8% |
| 897 | Games played | 836 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Larry Bird's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Julius Erving's era.
Playoff averages
| Larry Bird | Stat | Julius Erving |
|---|---|---|
| 23.7 | Points / game | 21.9 |
| 10.3 | Rebounds / game | 7.0 |
| 6.5 | Assists / game | 4.2 |
| 1.8 | Steals / game | 1.7 |
| 0.9 | Blocks / game | 1.7 |
| 47.1% | Field goal % | 48.4% |
| 31.6% | 3-point % | 8.0% |
| 88.5% | Free throw % | 78.1% |
| 164 | Playoff games | 141 |
Accolades
| Larry Bird | Stat | Julius Erving |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | MVP awards | 1 |
| 2 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 3 | Championships | 3 |
| 10 | All-Star selections | 11 |
| 9 | All-NBA 1st Team | 9 |
| #10 | All-time GOAT rank | #21 |
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