Nikola Jovic vs. Bill Russell Comparison

Head-to-head comparison between the NBA stars Bill Russell and Nikola Jovic 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
Nikola Jovic: 2022-23 to 2025-26
Bill Russell: 1956-57 to 1968-69

NBA Championships and Seasons

NBA Championships Nikola Jovic 0 Bill Russell 11

NBA Seasons Nikola Jovic 4 Bill Russell 13

Playoffs Played Nikola Jovic 3 Bill Russell 13

All-Star Games Nikola Jovic 0 Bill Russell 12

Honors and Awards

Season MVP Nikola Jovic 0 Bill Russell 5

All-NBA First Team Nikola Jovic 0 Bill Russell 3

All-NBA Teams (Total Selections) Nikola Jovic 0 Bill Russell 11

All-Defensive 1st Team Nikola Jovic 0 Bill Russell 1 *

All-Defensive Teams (Total Selections) Nikola Jovic 0 Bill Russell 1

Rebounds Leader Nikola Jovic 0 Bill Russell 4

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

NBA Regular Season Stats

Stats Per Game

Points Per Game Nikola Jovic 8.6 Bill Russell 15.1

Rebounds Per Game Nikola Jovic 3.8 Bill Russell 22.5

Assists Per Game Nikola Jovic 2.3 Bill Russell 4.3

Steals Per Game Nikola Jovic 0.6 Bill Russell - n/a **

Blocks Per Game Nikola Jovic 0.3 Bill Russell - n/a **

Totals Stats

Total Points Nikola Jovic 1,053 Bill Russell 14,522

Total Rebounds Nikola Jovic 466 Bill Russell 21,620

Total Assists Nikola Jovic 275 Bill Russell 4,100

Total Steals Nikola Jovic 79 Bill Russell - n/a **

Total Blocks Nikola Jovic 35 Bill Russell - n/a **

Total Games Nikola Jovic 122 Bill Russell 963

Percentages

Field Goal Percentage Nikola Jovic .444 Bill Russell .440

3-Point Percentage Nikola Jovic .362 Bill Russell - n/a **

Free Throw Percentage Nikola Jovic .788 Bill Russell .561

Best Season (no game minimum)

Points Per Game Nikola Jovic 10.7 (2025) Bill Russell 18.9 (1962)

Rebounds Per Game Nikola Jovic 4.2 (2026) Bill Russell 24.7 (1964)

Assists Per Game Nikola Jovic 2.9 (2026) Bill Russell 5.8 (1967)

Steals Per Game Nikola Jovic 0.8 (2025) Bill Russell - n/a **

Blocks Per Game Nikola Jovic 0.4 (2026) Bill Russell - n/a **

NBA Playoffs Stats

Stats Per Game

Points Per Game Nikola Jovic 5.4 Bill Russell 16.2

Rebounds Per Game Nikola Jovic 3.4 Bill Russell 24.9

Assists Per Game Nikola Jovic 1.1 Bill Russell 4.7

Steals Per Game Nikola Jovic 0.5 Bill Russell - n/a **

Blocks Per Game Nikola Jovic 0.3 Bill Russell - n/a **

Totals Stats

Total Points Nikola Jovic 87 Bill Russell 2,673

Total Rebounds Nikola Jovic 54 Bill Russell 4,104

Total Assists Nikola Jovic 17 Bill Russell 770

Total Steals Nikola Jovic 8 Bill Russell - n/a **

Total Blocks Nikola Jovic 4 Bill Russell - n/a **

Total Games Nikola Jovic 16 Bill Russell 165

Percentages

Field Goal Percentage Nikola Jovic .400 Bill Russell .430

3-Point Percentage Nikola Jovic .313 Bill Russell - n/a **

Free Throw Percentage Nikola Jovic .923 Bill Russell .603

Best Playoffs (no game minimum)

Points Per Game Nikola Jovic 9.5 (2025) Bill Russell 22.4 (1962)

Rebounds Per Game Nikola Jovic 6.6 (2024) Bill Russell 29.9 (1961)

Assists Per Game Nikola Jovic 2.2 (2024) Bill Russell 6.3 (1965)

Steals Per Game Nikola Jovic 1.0 (2024) Bill Russell - n/a **

Blocks Per Game Nikola Jovic 0.6 (2024) 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.