Bill Russell vs. Ennis Whatley Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ennis Whatley and Bill Russell, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Bill Russell played 13 years in the NBA, 3 more than Ennis Whatley, who played 10. Bill Russell had the first of his seasons in 1956-57, while Ennis Whatley had his rookie season in 1983-84. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achivements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Bill Russell 13 13 1956-57 to 1968-69
Ennis Whatley 10 4 1983-84 to 1996-97

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13

Rookie Season

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1956-571983-84
Team Boston CelticsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 48 35.3 14.7 - - 19.6 1.8 - - - 3.0 5.8 13.5 .427 - - - 3.2 6.4 .492
Ennis Whatley 80 27.0 8.4 0.8 1.7 2.5 8.3 1.5 0.2 3.4 2.8 3.3 7.0 .469 0.0 0.0 .000 1.8 2.5 .730
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 10 40.9 13.9 - - 24.4 3.2 - - - 4.1 5.4 14.8 .365 - - - 3.1 6.1 .508
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------

Season 2

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1957-581984-85
Team Boston CelticsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 69 38.3 16.6 - - 22.7 2.9 - - - 2.6 6.6 15.0 .442 - - - 3.3 6.4 .519
Ennis Whatley 70 19.8 5.0 0.5 1.0 1.4 5.4 0.9 0.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 4.5 .447 0.0 0.1 .111 1.0 1.2 .791
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 9 39.4 15.1 - - 24.6 2.7 - - - 2.7 5.3 14.8 .361 - - - 4.4 7.3 .606
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1958-591985-86
Team Boston CelticsCleveland Cavaliers, Washington Bullets, San Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 70 42.6 16.7 - - 23.0 3.2 - - - 2.3 6.5 14.2 .457 - - - 3.7 6.1 .598
Ennis Whatley 14 7.6 2.5 0.3 0.7 1.0 1.6 0.4 0.1 0.7 0.7 1.1 2.5 .429 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 0.7 .500
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 11 45.1 15.5 - - 27.7 3.6 - - - 2.5 5.9 14.5 .409 - - - 3.7 6.1 .612
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------

Season 4

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1959-601986-87
Team Boston CelticsWashington Bullets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionBullets Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 74 42.5 18.2 - - 24.0 3.7 - - - 2.8 7.5 16.1 .467 - - - 3.2 5.3 .612
Ennis Whatley 73 24.9 8.5 0.8 1.9 2.7 5.4 1.3 0.1 1.9 2.4 3.4 7.1 .478 0.0 0.0 .000 1.7 2.3 .764
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 13 44.0 18.5 - - 25.8 2.9 - - - 2.9 7.2 15.8 .456 - - - 4.1 5.8 .707
Ennis Whatley 2 16.0 3.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 3.0 1.0 0.0 4.0 1.0 1.5 6.0 .250 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -

Season 5

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1960-611987-88
Team Boston CelticsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 78 44.3 16.9 - - 23.9 3.4 - - - 2.0 6.8 16.0 .426 - - - 3.3 6.0 .550
Ennis Whatley 5 4.8 2.2 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.8 0.6 0.8 1.8 .444 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 0.8 .750
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 10 46.2 19.1 - - 29.9 4.8 - - - 2.4 7.3 17.1 .427 - - - 4.5 8.6 .523
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------

Season 6

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1961-621988-89
Team Boston CelticsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 76 45.2 18.9 - - 23.6 4.5 - - - 2.7 7.6 16.6 .457 - - - 3.8 6.3 .595
Ennis Whatley 8 11.3 4.3 0.3 1.8 2.0 2.8 0.9 0.1 1.4 1.9 1.5 4.1 .364 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 1.4 .909
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 14 48.0 22.4 - - 26.4 5.0 - - - 3.5 8.3 18.1 .458 - - - 5.9 8.1 .726
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------

Note: Ennis Whatley didn't play in 1989-90 and 1990-91.

Season 7

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1962-631991-92
Team Boston CelticsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionTrail Blazers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 78 44.9 16.8 - - 23.6 4.5 - - - 2.4 6.6 15.2 .432 - - - 3.7 6.6 .555
Ennis Whatley 23 9.1 3.0 0.3 0.7 0.9 1.5 0.6 0.1 0.6 0.5 0.9 2.2 .412 0.0 0.2 .000 1.2 1.3 .871
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 13 47.5 20.3 - - 25.1 5.1 - - - 2.8 7.4 16.3 .453 - - - 5.5 8.4 .661
Ennis Whatley 15 6.4 1.1 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.7 0.4 1.3 .300 0.0 0.1 .000 0.3 0.3 1.000

Note: Ennis Whatley didn't play in 1992-93.

Season 8

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1963-641993-94
Team Boston CelticsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionHawks Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 78 44.6 15.0 - - 24.7 4.7 - - - 2.4 6.0 13.8 .433 - - - 3.0 5.5 .550
Ennis Whatley 82 12.2 3.6 0.3 0.9 1.2 2.2 0.7 0.0 1.0 1.1 1.5 2.9 .508 0.0 0.1 .000 0.6 0.8 .788
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 10 45.1 13.1 - - 27.2 4.4 - - - 3.3 4.7 13.2 .356 - - - 3.7 6.7 .552
Ennis Whatley 11 10.3 2.2 0.3 1.0 1.3 1.1 0.6 0.0 0.8 1.6 0.8 2.5 .321 0.0 0.0 - 0.5 0.7 .750

Season 9

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1964-651994-95
Team Boston CelticsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionHawks Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 78 44.4 14.1 - - 24.1 5.3 - - - 2.6 5.5 12.6 .438 - - - 3.1 5.5 .573
Ennis Whatley 27 10.8 2.6 0.3 0.8 1.1 2.0 0.7 0.0 0.7 1.4 0.9 2.0 .453 0.1 0.3 .250 0.7 1.2 .625
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 12 46.8 16.5 - - 25.2 6.3 - - - 3.6 6.6 12.5 .527 - - - 3.3 6.3 .526
Ennis Whatley 3 6.3 0.0 0.3 1.0 1.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 1.3 .000 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -

Note: Ennis Whatley didn't play in 1995-96.

Season 10

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1965-661996-97
Team Boston CelticsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 78 43.4 12.9 - - 22.8 4.8 - - - 2.8 5.0 12.1 .415 - - - 2.9 5.2 .551
Ennis Whatley 3 7.3 1.3 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.7 0.7 1.3 .500 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 17 47.9 19.1 - - 25.2 5.0 - - - 3.5 7.3 15.4 .475 - - - 4.5 7.2 .618
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------

Season 11

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1966-67-
Team Boston Celtics-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Div Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 81 40.7 13.3 - - 21.0 5.8 - - - 3.2 4.9 10.7 .454 - - - 3.5 5.8 .610
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 9 43.3 10.6 - - 22.0 5.6 - - - 3.6 3.4 9.6 .360 - - - 3.7 5.8 .635
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------

Season 12

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1967-68-
Team Boston Celtics-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA Champion-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 78 37.9 12.5 - - 18.6 4.6 - - - 3.1 4.7 11.0 .425 - - - 3.2 5.9 .537
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 19 45.7 14.4 - - 22.8 5.2 - - - 3.8 5.2 12.7 .409 - - - 4.0 6.8 .585
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------

Season 13

Bill Russell Ennis Whatley
Season 1968-69-
Team Boston Celtics-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA Champion-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 77 42.7 9.9 - - 19.3 4.9 - - - 3.0 3.6 8.4 .433 - - - 2.6 5.0 .526
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bill Russell 18 46.1 10.8 - - 20.5 5.4 - - - 3.6 4.3 10.1 .423 - - - 2.3 4.5 .506
Ennis Whatley ------- --- ----------