Cross-era · careers 16 years apart

Michael Jordan vs Bill Russell

Michael Jordan 1984-2002 · Guard Bill Russell 1956-1968 · Center

Michael Jordan (1984-2002) and Bill Russell (1956-1968) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 16 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Michael Jordan was the higher-volume scorer (30.1 points per game to 15.1); adjusted for era they scored at 2.94× and 1.32× their league average respectively; Michael Jordan was the more efficient scorer (56.9% true shooting to 47.1%). Michael Jordan holds the edge on accolades — 5 MVPs, 6 championships, 6 Finals MVPs and the #1 all-time ranking to Bill Russell's #5.

Career averages

Michael JordanStatBill Russell
30.1 Points / game 15.1
6.2 Rebounds / game 22.5
5.3 Assists / game 4.3
2.4 Steals / game 0.0
0.8 Blocks / game 0.0
49.6% Field goal % 44.0%
28.0% 3-point % 0.0%
83.3% Free throw % 56.1%
56.9% True shooting % 47.1%
1,072 Games played 963

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Michael JordanStatBill Russell
2.94× Points vs era avg 1.32×
1.50× Rebounds vs era avg 3.67×
2.24× Assists vs era avg 1.96×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats aren't available for Michael Jordan.

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

Playoff averages

Michael JordanStatBill Russell
33.5 Points / game 16.2
6.4 Rebounds / game 24.9
5.7 Assists / game 4.7
2.1 Steals / game 0.0
0.9 Blocks / game 0.0
48.8% Field goal % 42.7%
34.3% 3-point % 0.0%
83.0% Free throw % 59.9%
179 Playoff games 165

Accolades

Michael JordanStatBill Russell
5 MVP awards 5
6 Finals MVP 0
6 Championships 11
13 All-Star selections 12
10 All-NBA 1st Team 3
#1 All-time GOAT rank #5

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