Bill Russell vs. Ralph Sampson Comparison

Head-to-head comparison between the NBA stars Ralph Sampson and Bill Russell that includes championships won, honors and awards obtained, regular season and playoffs stats and other data put side by side.

Who scored more points in his career? Who averaged more points in playoffs? Who won more championships? Who led the season more times? Who won more MVP awards? These questions and many more, are answered here. It includes NBA Championships, seasons, playoffs, awards, statistical data for points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and percentages.

Head-To-Head Career Comparison

Bill Russell

vs.

Ralph Sampson

NBA Timeline:	1946-47 2023-24
Bill Russell: 1956-57 to 1968-69
Ralph Sampson: 1983-84 to 1991-92

NBA Championships and Seasons

NBA Championships Bill Russell 11 Ralph Sampson 0

NBA Seasons Bill Russell 13 Ralph Sampson 9

Playoffs Played Bill Russell 13 Ralph Sampson 4

All-Star Games Bill Russell 12 Ralph Sampson 4

Honors and Awards

Season MVP Bill Russell 5 Ralph Sampson 0

All-NBA First Team Bill Russell 3 Ralph Sampson 0

All-NBA Teams (Total Selections) Bill Russell 11 Ralph Sampson 1

All-Defensive 1st Team Bill Russell 1 * Ralph Sampson 0

All-Defensive Teams (Total Selections) Bill Russell 1 Ralph Sampson 0

Rebounds Leader Bill Russell 4 Ralph Sampson 0

Rookie of The Year Bill Russell 0 Ralph Sampson 1

* Notes: Finals MVP and Defensive Teams awarded since 1968-69.

NBA Regular Season Stats

Stats Per Game

Points Per Game Bill Russell 15.1 Ralph Sampson 15.4

Rebounds Per Game Bill Russell 22.5 Ralph Sampson 8.8

Assists Per Game Bill Russell 4.3 Ralph Sampson 2.3

Steals Per Game Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 0.9

Blocks Per Game Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 1.6

Totals Stats

Total Points Bill Russell 14,522 Ralph Sampson 7,039

Total Rebounds Bill Russell 21,620 Ralph Sampson 4,011

Total Assists Bill Russell 4,100 Ralph Sampson 1,038

Total Steals Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 390

Total Blocks Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 752

Total Games Bill Russell 963 Ralph Sampson 456

Percentages

Field Goal Percentage Bill Russell .440 Ralph Sampson .486

3-Point Percentage Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson .172

Free Throw Percentage Bill Russell .561 Ralph Sampson .661

Best Season (no game minimum)

Points Per Game Bill Russell 18.9 (1962) Ralph Sampson 22.1 (1985)

Rebounds Per Game Bill Russell 24.7 (1964) Ralph Sampson 11.1 (1984)

Assists Per Game Bill Russell 5.8 (1967) Ralph Sampson 3.6 (1986)

Steals Per Game Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 1.3 (1986)

Blocks Per Game Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 2.4 (1984)

NBA Playoffs Stats

Stats Per Game

Points Per Game Bill Russell 16.2 Ralph Sampson 18.7

Rebounds Per Game Bill Russell 24.9 Ralph Sampson 10.5

Assists Per Game Bill Russell 4.7 Ralph Sampson 2.9

Steals Per Game Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 0.9

Blocks Per Game Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 1.5

Totals Stats

Total Points Bill Russell 2,673 Ralph Sampson 711

Total Rebounds Bill Russell 4,104 Ralph Sampson 400

Total Assists Bill Russell 770 Ralph Sampson 109

Total Steals Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 35

Total Blocks Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 57

Total Games Bill Russell 165 Ralph Sampson 38

Percentages

Field Goal Percentage Bill Russell .430 Ralph Sampson .497

3-Point Percentage Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson .375

Free Throw Percentage Bill Russell .603 Ralph Sampson .703

Best Playoffs (no game minimum)

Points Per Game Bill Russell 22.4 (1962) Ralph Sampson 21.2 (1985)

Rebounds Per Game Bill Russell 29.9 (1961) Ralph Sampson 16.6 (1985)

Assists Per Game Bill Russell 6.3 (1965) Ralph Sampson 4.0 (1986)

Steals Per Game Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 1.5 (1986)

Blocks Per Game Bill Russell - n/a ** Ralph Sampson 1.8 (1986)

Notes: ** Blocks and steals started to be recorded in 1973-74, this player has no data for the stat. Three-point shots were implemented in 1979-80, this player has no data for the stat.