Cross-era · careers 46 years apart
Nikola Jokic vs Bob Cousy
Nikola Jokic (2015-2025) and Bob Cousy (1950-1969) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 46 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Nikola Jokic was the higher-volume scorer (22.2 points per game to 18.4); adjusted for era they scored at 2.11× and 1.80× their league average respectively; Nikola Jokic was the more efficient scorer (70.3% true shooting to 44.6%). Bob Cousy holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 6 championships and the #13 all-time ranking to Nikola Jokic's #35.
Career averages
| Nikola Jokic | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|
| 22.2 |
Points / game |
18.4 |
| 11.1 |
Rebounds / game |
5.2 |
| 7.5 |
Assists / game |
7.5 |
| 1.3 |
Steals / game |
0.0 |
| 0.7 |
Blocks / game |
0.0 |
| 55.7% |
Field goal % |
37.5% |
| 35.7% |
3-point % |
0.0% |
| 82.5% |
Free throw % |
80.0% |
| 70.3% |
True shooting % |
44.6% |
| 810 |
Games played |
924 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Nikola Jokic | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|
| 2.11× |
Points vs era avg |
1.80× |
| 2.65× |
Rebounds vs era avg |
0.90× |
| 3.17× |
Assists vs era avg |
3.34× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bob Cousy's era.
| Nikola Jokic | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|
| 116.1 |
Offensive rating |
— |
| 108.9 |
Defensive rating |
— |
| 7.3 |
Net rating |
— |
| 30.4% |
Usage % |
— |
| 50.3% |
Assist % |
— |
| 20.7% |
Rebound % |
— |
Playoff averages
| Nikola Jokic | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|
| 27.4 |
Points / game |
18.5 |
| 12.3 |
Rebounds / game |
5.0 |
| 7.6 |
Assists / game |
8.6 |
| 1.2 |
Steals / game |
0.0 |
| 0.9 |
Blocks / game |
0.0 |
| 52.5% |
Field goal % |
34.3% |
| 38.9% |
3-point % |
0.0% |
| 82.9% |
Free throw % |
79.5% |
| 94 |
Playoff games |
109 |
Accolades
| Nikola Jokic | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|
| 3 |
MVP awards |
1 |
| 1 |
Finals MVP |
0 |
| 1 |
Championships |
6 |
| 7 |
All-Star selections |
13 |
| 6 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
10 |
| #35 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#13 |