Scottie Pippen vs Bill Russell
Scottie Pippen (1987-2003) and Bill Russell (1956-1968) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 19 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Scottie Pippen was the higher-volume scorer (16.1 points per game to 15.1); adjusted for era they scored at 1.62× and 1.32× their league average respectively; Scottie Pippen was the more efficient scorer (53.6% true shooting to 47.1%). Bill Russell holds the edge on accolades — 5 MVPs, 11 championships and the #5 all-time ranking to Scottie Pippen's #19.
Career averages
| Scottie Pippen | Stat | Bill Russell |
|---|---|---|
| 16.1 | Points / game | 15.1 |
| 6.4 | Rebounds / game | 22.5 |
| 5.2 | Assists / game | 4.3 |
| 2.0 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.8% | Field goal % | 44.0% |
| 29.5% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 70.3% | Free throw % | 56.1% |
| 53.6% | True shooting % | 47.1% |
| 1,178 | Games played | 963 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Scottie Pippen | Stat | Bill Russell |
|---|---|---|
| 1.62× | Points vs era avg | 1.32× |
| 1.55× | Rebounds vs era avg | 3.67× |
| 2.32× | Assists vs era avg | 1.96× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Scottie Pippen.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bill Russell's era.
Playoff averages
| Scottie Pippen | Stat | Bill Russell |
|---|---|---|
| 17.5 | Points / game | 16.2 |
| 7.6 | Rebounds / game | 24.9 |
| 5.0 | Assists / game | 4.7 |
| 1.9 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.9 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 44.4% | Field goal % | 42.7% |
| 29.7% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 72.6% | Free throw % | 59.9% |
| 208 | Playoff games | 165 |
Accolades
| Scottie Pippen | Stat | Bill Russell |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | MVP awards | 5 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 6 | Championships | 11 |
| 7 | All-Star selections | 12 |
| 3 | All-NBA 1st Team | 3 |
| #19 | All-time GOAT rank | #5 |
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