James Harden vs. Bill Russell Comparison

Head-to-head comparison between the NBA stars Bill Russell and James Harden 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

NBA Timeline:	1946-47 2025-26
James Harden: 2009-10 to 2025-26
Bill Russell: 1956-57 to 1968-69

NBA Championships and Seasons

NBA Championships James Harden 0 Bill Russell 11

NBA Seasons James Harden 17 Bill Russell 13

Playoffs Played James Harden 16 Bill Russell 13

All-Star Games James Harden 11 Bill Russell 12

Honors and Awards

Season MVP James Harden 1 Bill Russell 5

All-NBA First Team James Harden 6 Bill Russell 3

All-NBA Teams (Total Selections) James Harden 8 Bill Russell 11

All-Defensive 1st Team James Harden 0 Bill Russell 1 *

All-Defensive Teams (Total Selections) James Harden 0 Bill Russell 1

Scoring Leader James Harden 3 Bill Russell 0

Rebounds Leader James Harden 0 Bill Russell 4

Assists Leader James Harden 2 Bill Russell 0

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

NBA Regular Season Stats

Stats Per Game

Points Per Game James Harden 24.1 Bill Russell 15.1

Rebounds Per Game James Harden 5.6 Bill Russell 22.5

Assists Per Game James Harden 7.2 Bill Russell 4.3

Steals Per Game James Harden 1.5 Bill Russell - n/a **

Blocks Per Game James Harden 0.6 Bill Russell - n/a **

Totals Stats

Total Points James Harden 28,213 Bill Russell 14,522

Total Rebounds James Harden 6,585 Bill Russell 21,620

Total Assists James Harden 8,481 Bill Russell 4,100

Total Steals James Harden 1,735 Bill Russell - n/a **

Total Blocks James Harden 663 Bill Russell - n/a **

Total Games James Harden 1,170 Bill Russell 963

Percentages

Field Goal Percentage James Harden .439 Bill Russell .440

3-Point Percentage James Harden .363 Bill Russell - n/a **

Free Throw Percentage James Harden .862 Bill Russell .561

Best Season (no game minimum)

Points Per Game James Harden 36.1 (2019) Bill Russell 18.9 (1962)

Rebounds Per Game James Harden 8.1 (2017) Bill Russell 24.7 (1964)

Assists Per Game James Harden 11.2 (2017) Bill Russell 5.8 (1967)

Steals Per Game James Harden 2.0 (2019) Bill Russell - n/a **

Blocks Per Game James Harden 0.9 (2020) Bill Russell - n/a **

NBA Playoffs Stats

Stats Per Game

Points Per Game James Harden 22.5 Bill Russell 16.2

Rebounds Per Game James Harden 5.5 Bill Russell 24.9

Assists Per Game James Harden 6.5 Bill Russell 4.7

Steals Per Game James Harden 1.6 Bill Russell - n/a **

Blocks Per Game James Harden 0.6 Bill Russell - n/a **

Totals Stats

Total Points James Harden 3,895 Bill Russell 2,673

Total Rebounds James Harden 948 Bill Russell 4,104

Total Assists James Harden 1,125 Bill Russell 770

Total Steals James Harden 282 Bill Russell - n/a **

Total Blocks James Harden 98 Bill Russell - n/a **

Total Games James Harden 173 Bill Russell 165

Percentages

Field Goal Percentage James Harden .425 Bill Russell .430

3-Point Percentage James Harden .340 Bill Russell - n/a **

Free Throw Percentage James Harden .869 Bill Russell .603

Best Playoffs (no game minimum)

Points Per Game James Harden 31.6 (2019) Bill Russell 22.4 (1962)

Rebounds Per Game James Harden 6.8 (2019) Bill Russell 29.9 (1961)

Assists Per Game James Harden 9.1 (2025) Bill Russell 6.3 (1965)

Steals Per Game James Harden 2.4 (2016) Bill Russell - n/a **

Blocks Per Game James Harden 1.0 (2025) Bill Russell - n/a **

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.