Michael Cooper vs Bill Russell
Michael Cooper (1978-1989) and Bill Russell (1956-1968) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 10 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Bill Russell was the higher-volume scorer (15.1 points per game to 8.8); adjusted for era they scored at 0.84× and 1.32× their league average respectively; Michael Cooper was the more efficient scorer (54.3% true shooting to 47.1%). Bill Russell holds the edge on accolades — 5 MVPs, 11 championships and the #5 all-time ranking to Michael Cooper's #65.
Career averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bill Russell |
|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | Points / game | 15.1 |
| 3.2 | Rebounds / game | 22.5 |
| 4.2 | Assists / game | 4.3 |
| 1.2 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.6 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.8% | Field goal % | 44.0% |
| 29.1% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 83.2% | Free throw % | 56.1% |
| 54.3% | True shooting % | 47.1% |
| 873 | Games played | 963 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bill Russell |
|---|---|---|
| 0.84× | Points vs era avg | 1.32× |
| 0.75× | Rebounds vs era avg | 3.67× |
| 1.67× | Assists vs era avg | 1.96× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Michael Cooper's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bill Russell's era.
Playoff averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bill Russell |
|---|---|---|
| 9.4 | Points / game | 16.2 |
| 3.4 | Rebounds / game | 24.9 |
| 4.2 | Assists / game | 4.7 |
| 1.2 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.6 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.1% | Field goal % | 42.7% |
| 32.6% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 77.6% | Free throw % | 59.9% |
| 168 | Playoff games | 165 |
Accolades
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bill Russell |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | MVP awards | 5 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 5 | Championships | 11 |
| 0 | All-Star selections | 12 |
| 0 | All-NBA 1st Team | 3 |
| #65 | All-time GOAT rank | #5 |
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