Cross-era · careers 43 years apart

LeBron James vs Bill Sharman

LeBron James 2003-2025 · Forward · active Bill Sharman 1950-1960 · Guard

LeBron James (2003-2025) and Bill Sharman (1950-1960) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 43 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, LeBron James was the higher-volume scorer (26.8 points per game to 17.8); adjusted for era they scored at 2.70× and 1.78× their league average respectively; LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 49.7%). LeBron James holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and the #3 all-time ranking to Bill Sharman's #37.

Career averages

LeBron JamesStatBill Sharman
26.8 Points / game 17.8
7.4 Rebounds / game 3.9
7.4 Assists / game 3.0
1.5 Steals / game 0.0
0.7 Blocks / game 0.0
50.8% Field goal % 42.6%
34.7% 3-point % 0.0%
73.7% Free throw % 88.3%
60.8% True shooting % 49.7%
1,622 Games played 711

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

LeBron JamesStatBill Sharman
2.70× Points vs era avg 1.78×
1.80× Rebounds vs era avg 0.66×
3.36× Assists vs era avg 1.35×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bill Sharman's era.

LeBron JamesStatBill Sharman
113.8 Offensive rating —
107.9 Defensive rating —
5.9 Net rating —
27.2% Usage % —
34.1% Assist % —
10.7% Rebound % —

Playoff averages

LeBron JamesStatBill Sharman
28.4 Points / game 18.5
9.0 Rebounds / game 3.7
7.2 Assists / game 2.6
1.7 Steals / game 0.0
1.0 Blocks / game 0.0
49.8% Field goal % 42.8%
33.2% 3-point % 0.0%
73.8% Free throw % 90.9%
292 Playoff games 78

Accolades

LeBron JamesStatBill Sharman
4 MVP awards 0
4 Finals MVP 0
4 Championships 4
21 All-Star selections 8
13 All-NBA 1st Team 4
#3 All-time GOAT rank #37

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