Cross-era · careers 45 years apart

Willis Reed vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Willis Reed 1964-1973 · Center Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2018-2025 · Guard · active

Willis Reed (1964-1973) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2018-2025) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 45 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the higher-volume scorer (25.3 points per game to 18.7); adjusted for era they scored at 1.65× and 2.37× their league average respectively; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the more efficient scorer (70.3% true shooting to 52.3%). Willis Reed holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 2 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #29 all-time ranking to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's #68.

Career averages

Willis ReedStatShai Gilgeous-Alexander
18.7 Points / game 25.3
12.9 Rebounds / game 4.7
1.8 Assists / game 5.3
0.0 Steals / game 1.4
0.0 Blocks / game 0.8
47.6% Field goal % 50.4%
0.0% 3-point % 35.9%
74.8% Free throw % 85.1%
52.3% True shooting % 70.3%
650 Games played 530

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Willis ReedStatShai Gilgeous-Alexander
1.65× Points vs era avg 2.37×
2.28× Rebounds vs era avg 1.12×
0.83× Assists vs era avg 2.19×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Willis Reed's era.

Willis ReedStatShai Gilgeous-Alexander
— Offensive rating 112.7
— Defensive rating 111.4
— Net rating 1.3
— Usage % 33.4%
— Assist % 35.0%
— Rebound % 7.0%

Playoff averages

Willis ReedStatShai Gilgeous-Alexander
17.4 Points / game 25.8
10.3 Rebounds / game 5.4
1.9 Assists / game 5.7
0.0 Steals / game 1.4
0.0 Blocks / game 1.0
46.1% Field goal % 46.6%
0.0% 3-point % 36.1%
75.1% Free throw % 86.7%
78 Playoff games 46

Accolades

Willis ReedStatShai Gilgeous-Alexander
1 MVP awards 2
2 Finals MVP 1
2 Championships 1
7 All-Star selections 3
1 All-NBA 1st Team 4
#29 All-time GOAT rank #68

More comparisons

Want a different matchup? Use the interactive comparison tool.