GOATvs › NBA Players › Face-off
Bill Russell vs Kobe Bryant
Which player? Pick one and see how the world splits.
- Bill Russell Boston Celtics · 1934–2022 46% · #10 in the world
- Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers · 1978–2020 54% · #5 in the world
What the votes say
Too close to call: the world picks Kobe Bryant over Bill Russell by just 54% to 46%. Kobe Bryant is #5 of the 250 NBA players in the world ranking, and #3 of the 14 of the Los Angeles Lakers. Bill Russell is #10, and #2 of the 19 of the Boston Celtics.
Side by side
| Bill Russell | Kobe Bryant | |
|---|---|---|
| World rank | #10 | #5 |
| Team | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Born | 1934 | 1978 |