Cross-era · careers 9 years apart

Wilt Chamberlain vs Isiah Thomas

Wilt Chamberlain 1959-1972 · Center Isiah Thomas 1981-1993 · Guard

Wilt Chamberlain (1959-1972) and Isiah Thomas (1981-1993) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 9 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Wilt Chamberlain was the higher-volume scorer (30.1 points per game to 19.2); adjusted for era they scored at 2.56× and 1.85× their league average respectively; Wilt Chamberlain was the more efficient scorer (54.7% true shooting to 51.6%). Wilt Chamberlain holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 2 championships, 1 Finals MVP and the #8 all-time ranking to Isiah Thomas's #36.

Career averages

Wilt ChamberlainStatIsiah Thomas
30.1 Points / game 19.2
22.9 Rebounds / game 3.6
4.4 Assists / game 9.3
0.0 Steals / game 1.9
0.0 Blocks / game 0.3
56.8% Field goal % 45.2%
0.0% 3-point % 29.0%
50.1% Free throw % 75.9%
54.7% True shooting % 51.6%
1,045 Games played 979

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Wilt ChamberlainStatIsiah Thomas
2.56× Points vs era avg 1.85×
3.85× Rebounds vs era avg 0.86×
2.03× Assists vs era avg 3.80×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Wilt Chamberlain's era.

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Isiah Thomas's era.

Playoff averages

Wilt ChamberlainStatIsiah Thomas
22.5 Points / game 20.4
24.5 Rebounds / game 4.7
4.2 Assists / game 8.9
0.0 Steals / game 2.1
0.0 Blocks / game 0.3
53.1% Field goal % 43.8%
0.0% 3-point % 32.3%
46.6% Free throw % 77.0%
160 Playoff games 111

Accolades

Wilt ChamberlainStatIsiah Thomas
4 MVP awards 0
1 Finals MVP 1
2 Championships 2
13 All-Star selections 11
7 All-NBA 1st Team 3
#8 All-time GOAT rank #36

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