Michael Cooper vs Bill Sharman
Michael Cooper (1978-1989) and Bill Sharman (1950-1960) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 18 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Bill Sharman was the higher-volume scorer (17.8 points per game to 8.8); adjusted for era they scored at 0.84× and 1.78× their league average respectively; Michael Cooper was the more efficient scorer (54.3% true shooting to 49.7%). Bill Sharman holds the edge on accolades — 4 championships and the #37 all-time ranking to Michael Cooper's #65.
Career averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bill Sharman |
|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | Points / game | 17.8 |
| 3.2 | Rebounds / game | 3.9 |
| 4.2 | Assists / game | 3.0 |
| 1.2 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.6 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.8% | Field goal % | 42.6% |
| 29.1% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 83.2% | Free throw % | 88.3% |
| 54.3% | True shooting % | 49.7% |
| 873 | Games played | 711 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bill Sharman |
|---|---|---|
| 0.84× | Points vs era avg | 1.78× |
| 0.75× | Rebounds vs era avg | 0.66× |
| 1.67× | Assists vs era avg | 1.35× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Michael Cooper's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bill Sharman's era.
Playoff averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bill Sharman |
|---|---|---|
| 9.4 | Points / game | 18.5 |
| 3.4 | Rebounds / game | 3.7 |
| 4.2 | Assists / game | 2.6 |
| 1.2 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.6 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.1% | Field goal % | 42.8% |
| 32.6% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 77.6% | Free throw % | 90.9% |
| 168 | Playoff games | 78 |
Accolades
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bill Sharman |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 5 | Championships | 4 |
| 0 | All-Star selections | 8 |
| 0 | All-NBA 1st Team | 4 |
| #65 | All-time GOAT rank | #37 |
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