Michael Cooper vs Bob Pettit
Michael Cooper (1978-1989) and Bob Pettit (1954-1964) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 14 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Bob Pettit was the higher-volume scorer (26.4 points per game to 8.8); adjusted for era they scored at 0.84× and 2.33× their league average respectively; Michael Cooper was the more efficient scorer (54.3% true shooting to 51.1%). Bob Pettit holds the edge on accolades — 2 MVPs, 1 championship and the #22 all-time ranking to Michael Cooper's #65.
Career averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bob Pettit |
|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | Points / game | 26.4 |
| 3.2 | Rebounds / game | 16.2 |
| 4.2 | Assists / game | 3.0 |
| 1.2 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.6 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.8% | Field goal % | 43.5% |
| 29.1% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 83.2% | Free throw % | 76.2% |
| 54.3% | True shooting % | 51.1% |
| 873 | Games played | 792 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bob Pettit |
|---|---|---|
| 0.84× | Points vs era avg | 2.33× |
| 0.75× | Rebounds vs era avg | 2.61× |
| 1.67× | Assists vs era avg | 1.32× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Michael Cooper's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bob Pettit's era.
Playoff averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bob Pettit |
|---|---|---|
| 9.4 | Points / game | 25.5 |
| 3.4 | Rebounds / game | 14.8 |
| 4.2 | Assists / game | 2.7 |
| 1.2 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.6 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.1% | Field goal % | 41.4% |
| 32.6% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 77.6% | Free throw % | 77.9% |
| 168 | Playoff games | 88 |
Accolades
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Bob Pettit |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | MVP awards | 2 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 5 | Championships | 1 |
| 0 | All-Star selections | 11 |
| 0 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #65 | All-time GOAT rank | #22 |
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