Cross-era · careers 24 years apart

Shaquille O'Neal vs Bill Russell

Shaquille O'Neal 1992-2010 · Center Bill Russell 1956-1968 · Center

Shaquille O'Neal (1992-2010) and Bill Russell (1956-1968) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 24 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Shaquille O'Neal was the higher-volume scorer (23.7 points per game to 15.1); adjusted for era they scored at 2.48× and 1.32× their league average respectively; Shaquille O'Neal was the more efficient scorer (58.6% true shooting to 47.1%). Bill Russell holds the edge on accolades — 5 MVPs, 11 championships and the #5 all-time ranking to Shaquille O'Neal's #9.

Career averages

Shaquille O'NealStatBill Russell
23.7 Points / game 15.1
10.8 Rebounds / game 22.5
2.5 Assists / game 4.3
0.6 Steals / game 0.0
2.3 Blocks / game 0.0
58.5% Field goal % 44.0%
2.2% 3-point % 0.0%
52.6% Free throw % 56.1%
58.6% True shooting % 47.1%
1,207 Games played 963

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Shaquille O'NealStatBill Russell
2.48× Points vs era avg 1.32×
2.60× Rebounds vs era avg 3.67×
1.16× Assists vs era avg 1.96×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats aren't available for Shaquille O'Neal.

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

Playoff averages

Shaquille O'NealStatBill Russell
24.3 Points / game 16.2
11.6 Rebounds / game 24.9
2.7 Assists / game 4.7
0.6 Steals / game 0.0
2.1 Blocks / game 0.0
56.3% Field goal % 42.7%
0.0% 3-point % 0.0%
49.8% Free throw % 59.9%
216 Playoff games 165

Accolades

Shaquille O'NealStatBill Russell
1 MVP awards 5
3 Finals MVP 0
4 Championships 11
12 All-Star selections 12
8 All-NBA 1st Team 3
#9 All-time GOAT rank #5

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