Larry Bird vs. Kevin Johnson: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare Larry Bird and Kevin 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 Kevin Johnson, with 12 seasons played from 1988 to 2000, 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. Kevin Johnson | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | |
| Points | 40th | 228th | 13th | 67th |
| Rebounds | 59th | +300th | 11th | +300th |
| Assists | 49th | 26th | 9th | 21st |
| Steals | 42nd | 145th | 8th | 72nd |
| Blocks | 168th | +300th | 41st | +300th |
| Years | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Larry Bird vs. Kevin Johnson | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | |
| Points | 23rd | 144th | 41st | 110th |
| Rebounds | 55th | +300th | 50th | +300th |
| Assists | 51st | 7th | 40th | 6th |
| Steals | 39th | 88th | 25th | 144th |
| 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 | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 40th | 228th | 188 | 21,791 vs. 13,127 | 8,664 |
| Rebounds | 59th | +300th | +241 | 8,974 vs. 2,404 | 6,570 |
| Assists | 49th | 26th | 23 | 5,695 vs. 6,711 | 1,016 |
| Steals | 42nd | 145th | 103 | 1,556 vs. 1,082 | 474 |
| Blocks | 168th | +300th | +132 | 755 vs. 176 | 579 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 159th | +300th | +141 | 1,757 vs. 487 | 1,270 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 28th | +300th | +272 | 7,217 vs. 1,917 | 5,300 |
| Field Goals Made | 30th | +300th | +270 | 8,591 vs. 4,512 | 4,079 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 39th | +300th | +261 | 17,334 vs. 9,160 | 8,174 |
| 3-Pointers Made | +300th | +300th | 649 vs. 160 | 489 | |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | +300th | +300th | 1,727 vs. 524 | 1,203 | |
| Free Throws Made | 84th | 86th | 2 | 3,960 vs. 3,943 | 17 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 119th | 104th | 15 | 4,471 vs. 4,691 | 220 |
Games and Years: | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 275th | +300th | 897 vs. 735 | 162 | |
| Seasons | 300th | +300th | 13 vs. 12 | 1 | |
Triple-Doubles: | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 11th | 53rd | 42 | 59 vs. 13 | 46 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 24th | 154th | 130 | 47 vs. 5 | 42 |
| 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 | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 13th | 67th | 54 | 3,897 vs. 2,026 | 1,871 |
| Rebounds | 11th | +300th | +289 | 1,683 vs. 349 | 1,334 |
| Assists | 9th | 21st | 12 | 1,062 vs. 935 | 127 |
| Steals | 8th | 72nd | 64 | 296 vs. 132 | 164 |
| Blocks | 41st | +300th | +259 | 145 vs. 30 | 115 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 22nd | +300th | +278 | 360 vs. 70 | 290 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 5th | 220th | 215 | 1,323 vs. 279 | 1,044 |
| Field Goals Made | 12th | 77th | 65 | 1,458 vs. 705 | 753 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 13th | 86th | 73 | 3,090 vs. 1,504 | 1,586 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 162nd | +300th | +138 | 80 vs. 22 | 58 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 140th | +300th | +160 | 249 vs. 90 | 159 |
| Free Throws Made | 14th | 44th | 30 | 901 vs. 594 | 307 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 22nd | 48th | 26 | 1,012 vs. 713 | 299 |
Games and Years: | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 36th | 149th | 113 | 164 vs. 105 | 59 |
| Playoffs | 76th | 110th | 34 | 12 vs. 11 | 1 |
Triple-Doubles: | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 6th | +300th | 10 vs. 0 | 10 | |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 28th | 55th | 27 | 5 vs. 2 | 3 |
| 50+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 23rd | 144th | 121 | 24.29 vs. 17.86 | 6.43 |
| Rebounds per game | 55th | +300th | +245 | 10.00 vs. 3.27 | 6.73 |
| Assists per game | 51st | 7th | 44 | 6.35 vs. 9.13 | 2.78 |
| Steals per game | 39th | 88th | 49 | 1.73 vs. 1.47 | 0.26 |
| Blocks per game | 228th | +300th | +72 | 0.84 vs. 0.24 | 0.60 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | 230th | +300th | +70 | 1.96 vs. 0.66 | 1.30 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 11th | +300th | +289 | 8.05 vs. 2.61 | 5.44 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 9th | 219th | 210 | 9.58 vs. 6.14 | 3.44 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 17th | 285th | 268 | 19.32 vs. 12.46 | 6.86 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | +300th | 0.72 vs. 0.22 | 0.51 | |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | +300th | 1.93 vs. 0.71 | 1.21 | |
| Free Throws Made per game | 90th | 40th | 50 | 4.41 vs. 5.36 | 0.95 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 139th | 57th | 82 | 4.98 vs. 6.38 | 1.40 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Larry Bird | Kevin Johnson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 41st | 110th | 69 | 23.76 vs. 19.30 | 4.47 |
| Rebounds per game | 50th | +300th | +250 | 10.26 vs. 3.32 | 6.94 |
| Assists per game | 40th | 6th | 34 | 6.48 vs. 8.90 | 2.43 |
| Steals per game | 25th | 144th | 119 | 1.80 vs. 1.26 | 0.55 |
| Blocks per game | 195th | +300th | +105 | 0.88 vs. 0.29 | 0.60 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | 172nd | +300th | +128 | 2.20 vs. 0.67 | 1.53 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 19th | +300th | +281 | 8.07 vs. 2.66 | 5.41 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 37th | 148th | 111 | 8.89 vs. 6.71 | 2.18 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 47th | 171st | 124 | 18.84 vs. 14.32 | 4.52 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | +300th | 0.49 vs. 0.21 | 0.28 | |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | +300th | 1.52 vs. 0.86 | 0.66 | |
| Free Throws Made per game | 56th | 45th | 11 | 5.49 vs. 5.66 | 0.16 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 93rd | 62nd | 31 | 6.17 vs. 6.79 | 0.62 |
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.