Larry Bird vs. Joe Johnson: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare Larry Bird and Joe Johnson all-time NBA rankings. Explore their historical standing across total and per-game stats, regular season and playoffs. Who ranks higher?
This in-depth analysis goes beyond basic career numbers to provide an unparalleled look at where Larry Bird, with a career spanning 13 seasons from 1980 to 1992, and Joe Johnson, with 18 seasons played from 2002 to 2022, stand among the league's historical elite.
Dive into a meticulous breakdown of their positions in every major statistical category—from scoring, rebounding and assists to steals, blocks, triple-doubles, and rankings by points thresholds—across both regular season and their entire playoff careers. Our comprehensive tables offer side-by-side rankings, value comparisons, and key differences, ensuring you have all the definitive data to assess their historical impact.
First, review a concise summary of how they rank in NBA history in the main categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) for both total and per-game stats, and below, you can then explore in detail all their stats and their historical rankings.
Larry Bird vs. Joe Johnson | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | |
| Points | 40th | 50th | 13th | 88th |
| Rebounds | 59th | 280th | 11th | 200th |
| Assists | 49th | 74th | 9th | 99th |
| Steals | 42nd | 152nd | 8th | 124th |
| Blocks | 168th | +300th | 41st | +300th |
| Years | 13 | 18 | 12 | 13 |
Larry Bird vs. Joe Johnson | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | |
| Points | 23rd | 227th | 41st | 239th |
| Rebounds | 55th | +300th | 50th | +300th |
| Assists | 51st | 241st | 40th | +300th |
| Steals | 39th | +300th | 25th | +300th |
| Blocks | 228th | +300th | 195th | +300th |
Comparisons on this page: |
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Their rankings for: |
Note: per game rankings include players with a minimum of games played
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 40th | 50th | 10 | 21,791 vs. 20,407 | 1,384 |
| Rebounds | 59th | 280th | 221 | 8,974 vs. 5,059 | 3,915 |
| Assists | 49th | 74th | 25 | 5,695 vs. 5,001 | 694 |
| Steals | 42nd | 152nd | 110 | 1,556 vs. 1,071 | 485 |
| Blocks | 168th | +300th | +132 | 755 vs. 260 | 495 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 159th | +300th | +141 | 1,757 vs. 1,067 | 690 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 28th | 169th | 141 | 7,217 vs. 3,992 | 3,225 |
| Field Goals Made | 30th | 48th | 18 | 8,591 vs. 7,823 | 768 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 39th | 34th | 5 | 17,334 vs. 17,720 | 386 |
| 3-Pointers Made | +300th | 21st | +279 | 649 vs. 1,978 | 1,329 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | +300th | 20th | +280 | 1,727 vs. 5,331 | 3,604 |
| Free Throws Made | 84th | 210th | 126 | 3,960 vs. 2,783 | 1,177 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 119th | 232nd | 113 | 4,471 vs. 3,468 | 1,003 |
Games and Years: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 275th | 30th | 245 | 897 vs. 1,277 | 380 |
| Seasons | 300th | 29th | 271 | 13 vs. 18 | 5 |
Triple-Doubles: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 11th | 204th | 193 | 59 vs. 2 | 57 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 24th | 139th | 115 | 47 vs. 6 | 41 |
| 50+ point games | 30th | - | 4 vs. 0 | 4 | |
| 60+ point games | 11th | - | 1 vs. 0 | 1 | |
| 70+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 13th | 88th | 75 | 3,897 vs. 1,828 | 2,069 |
| Rebounds | 11th | 200th | 189 | 1,683 vs. 506 | 1,177 |
| Assists | 9th | 99th | 90 | 1,062 vs. 369 | 693 |
| Steals | 8th | 124th | 116 | 296 vs. 96 | 200 |
| Blocks | 41st | +300th | +259 | 145 vs. 19 | 126 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 22nd | 212nd | 190 | 360 vs. 116 | 244 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 5th | 142nd | 137 | 1,323 vs. 390 | 933 |
| Field Goals Made | 12th | 79th | 67 | 1,458 vs. 703 | 755 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 13th | 66th | 53 | 3,090 vs. 1,647 | 1,443 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 162nd | 56th | 106 | 80 vs. 158 | 78 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 140th | 48th | 92 | 249 vs. 466 | 217 |
| Free Throws Made | 14th | 178th | 164 | 901 vs. 264 | 637 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 22nd | 190th | 168 | 1,012 vs. 339 | 673 |
Games and Years: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 36th | 105th | 69 | 164 vs. 120 | 44 |
| Playoffs | 76th | 45th | 31 | 12 vs. 13 | 1 |
Triple-Doubles: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 6th | +300th | 10 vs. 0 | 10 | |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 28th | - | 5 vs. 0 | 5 | |
| 50+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 23rd | 227th | 204 | 24.29 vs. 15.98 | 8.31 |
| Rebounds per game | 55th | +300th | +245 | 10.00 vs. 3.96 | 6.04 |
| Assists per game | 51st | 241st | 190 | 6.35 vs. 3.92 | 2.43 |
| Steals per game | 39th | +300th | +261 | 1.73 vs. 0.84 | 0.90 |
| Blocks per game | 228th | +300th | +72 | 0.84 vs. 0.20 | 0.64 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | 230th | +300th | +70 | 1.96 vs. 0.84 | 1.12 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 11th | +300th | +289 | 8.05 vs. 3.13 | 4.92 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 9th | 222nd | 213 | 9.58 vs. 6.13 | 3.45 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 17th | 190th | 173 | 19.32 vs. 13.88 | 5.45 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | 168th | +132 | 0.72 vs. 1.55 | 0.83 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | 123rd | +177 | 1.93 vs. 4.17 | 2.25 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 90th | +300th | +210 | 4.41 vs. 2.18 | 2.24 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 139th | +300th | +161 | 4.98 vs. 2.72 | 2.27 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Larry Bird | Joe Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 41st | 239th | 198 | 23.76 vs. 15.23 | 8.53 |
| Rebounds per game | 50th | +300th | +250 | 10.26 vs. 4.22 | 6.05 |
| Assists per game | 40th | +300th | +260 | 6.48 vs. 3.08 | 3.40 |
| Steals per game | 25th | +300th | +275 | 1.80 vs. 0.80 | 1.00 |
| Blocks per game | 195th | +300th | +105 | 0.88 vs. 0.16 | 0.73 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | 172nd | +300th | +128 | 2.20 vs. 0.97 | 1.23 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 19th | +300th | +281 | 8.07 vs. 3.25 | 4.82 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 37th | 229th | 192 | 8.89 vs. 5.86 | 3.03 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 47th | 197th | 150 | 18.84 vs. 13.73 | 5.12 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | 203rd | +97 | 0.49 vs. 1.32 | 0.83 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | 171st | +129 | 1.52 vs. 3.88 | 2.37 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 56th | +300th | +244 | 5.49 vs. 2.20 | 3.29 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 93rd | +300th | +207 | 6.17 vs. 2.83 | 3.35 |
Note: the per game rankings on this page respect the minimums usually applied by the NBA for all-time leaders, this is 400 games for regular season stats unless the player reached these thresholds before: 10,000 points; 4,000 rebounds; 2,000 assists; 625 steals; 500 blocks; 250 3-pointers made. Also a minimum of 3 games is applied here for the Playoffs.