Cross-era · careers 30 years apart
LeBron James vs Willis Reed
LeBron James (2003-2025) and Willis Reed (1964-1973) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 30 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 18.7); adjusted for era they scored at 2.70× and 1.65× their league average respectively; LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 52.3%). LeBron James holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and the #3 all-time ranking to Willis Reed's #29.
Career averages
| LeBron James | Stat | Willis Reed |
|---|
| 26.8 |
Points / game |
18.7 |
| 7.4 |
Rebounds / game |
12.9 |
| 7.4 |
Assists / game |
1.8 |
| 1.5 |
Steals / game |
0.0 |
| 0.7 |
Blocks / game |
0.0 |
| 50.8% |
Field goal % |
47.6% |
| 34.7% |
3-point % |
0.0% |
| 73.7% |
Free throw % |
74.8% |
| 60.8% |
True shooting % |
52.3% |
| 1,622 |
Games played |
650 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| LeBron James | Stat | Willis Reed |
|---|
| 2.70× |
Points vs era avg |
1.65× |
| 1.80× |
Rebounds vs era avg |
2.28× |
| 3.36× |
Assists vs era avg |
0.83× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Willis Reed's era.
| LeBron James | Stat | Willis Reed |
|---|
| 113.8 |
Offensive rating |
— |
| 107.9 |
Defensive rating |
— |
| 5.9 |
Net rating |
— |
| 27.2% |
Usage % |
— |
| 34.1% |
Assist % |
— |
| 10.7% |
Rebound % |
— |
Playoff averages
| LeBron James | Stat | Willis Reed |
|---|
| 28.4 |
Points / game |
17.4 |
| 9.0 |
Rebounds / game |
10.3 |
| 7.2 |
Assists / game |
1.9 |
| 1.7 |
Steals / game |
0.0 |
| 1.0 |
Blocks / game |
0.0 |
| 49.8% |
Field goal % |
46.1% |
| 33.2% |
3-point % |
0.0% |
| 73.8% |
Free throw % |
75.1% |
| 292 |
Playoff games |
78 |
Accolades
| LeBron James | Stat | Willis Reed |
|---|
| 4 |
MVP awards |
1 |
| 4 |
Finals MVP |
2 |
| 4 |
Championships |
2 |
| 21 |
All-Star selections |
7 |
| 13 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
1 |
| #3 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#29 |