Larry Bird vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 10 seasons. On the floor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the higher-volume scorer (24.6 points per game to 24.3); Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the more efficient scorer (59.2% true shooting to 56.5%); Larry Bird created more for others (6.3 assists per game to 3.6). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the edge on accolades — 6 MVPs, 6 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #2 all-time ranking to Larry Bird's #10.
Career averages
| Larry Bird | Stat | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
|---|---|---|
| 24.3 | Points / game | 24.6 |
| 10.0 | Rebounds / game | 11.2 |
| 6.3 | Assists / game | 3.6 |
| 1.7 | Steals / game | 0.7 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 2.0 |
| 49.4% | Field goal % | 55.9% |
| 34.6% | 3-point % | 1.7% |
| 88.5% | Free throw % | 72.7% |
| 56.5% | True shooting % | 59.2% |
| 897 | Games played | 1,560 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Larry Bird's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's era.
Playoff averages
| Larry Bird | Stat | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
|---|---|---|
| 23.7 | Points / game | 24.3 |
| 10.3 | Rebounds / game | 10.5 |
| 6.5 | Assists / game | 3.2 |
| 1.8 | Steals / game | 0.8 |
| 0.9 | Blocks / game | 2.0 |
| 47.1% | Field goal % | 53.0% |
| 31.6% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 88.5% | Free throw % | 74.2% |
| 164 | Playoff games | 237 |
Accolades
| Larry Bird | Stat | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | MVP awards | 6 |
| 2 | Finals MVP | 2 |
| 3 | Championships | 6 |
| 10 | All-Star selections | 18 |
| 9 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #10 | All-time GOAT rank | #2 |
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