David Robinson
1989–90 to 2002–03 · 14 seasons
NBA player comparison
David Robinson vs. Larry Bird: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
David Robinson ranks higher in career impact
Larry Bird
1979–80 to 1991–92 · 13 seasons
Impact comparison
Box impact estimates points per 100 possessions above each season's league average. Higher is better. Career ranks and average league finishes work the other way: lower is better.
#6LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#9
+11.8LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+8.8
+9.3LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+8.5
+6,085 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+6,247 ptsLeads
3.4LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better3.7
1.0Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better1.0
Career Impact Rank places David Robinson #6 and Larry Bird #9. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Larry Bird had more total career value.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedDavid Robinson1.540 · No. 6Larry Bird1.600 · No. 9
Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.
David Robinson
1.540 composite · No. 6 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 11991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.000 | 50% | 0.500 |
| Best 5No. 11991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.200 | 30% | 0.360 |
| Best 10No. 11991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 3.400 | 20% | 0.680 |
0.500 + 0.360 + 0.680= 1.540
Larry Bird
1.600 composite · No. 9 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 11982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.000 | 50% | 0.500 |
| Best 5No. 11982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.200 | 30% | 0.360 |
| Best 10No. 11982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 91980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 3.700 | 20% | 0.740 |
0.500 + 0.360 + 0.740= 1.600
Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →
Full comparison · Career comparison
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #6Better result for this metric. | #9 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 3.4Better result for this metric. | 3.7 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #22 | #20Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +11.8Better result for this metric. | +8.8 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +10.0Better result for this metric. | +8.7 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +9.3Better result for this metric. | +8.5 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +8.0Better result for this metric. | +7.2 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +6,085 pts | +6,247 ptsBetter result for this metric. |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 8Better result for this metric. | 7 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 10 | 10 |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 987 | 897 |
| Minutes | 34,271 | 34,443 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks the better result for a metric, including lower turnover rates. Workload and shot-selection measures stay neutral. These rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 58.3%Better result for this metric. | 56.4% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 58.6%Better result for this metric. | 56.8% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 51.8%Better result for this metric. | 49.6% |
| Three-point percentage | 25.0% | 37.6%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 73.6% | 88.6%Better result for this metric. |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 13.4% | 25.9%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 2.5 | 6.3Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 12.2%Better result for this metric. | 12.5% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 17.5%Better result for this metric. | 14.2% |
| Rebounds per game | 10.6Better result for this metric. | 10.0 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.1% | 2.1% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 5.9%Better result for this metric. | 1.3% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | David Robinson | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 21.1 | 24.3Better result for this metric. |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Regular Season Impact
David Robinson ranks higher in career impact.
David RobinsonMetricLarry Bird
#6LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#9
+11.8LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+8.8
+9.3LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+8.5
+6,085 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+6,247 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Larry Bird leads every available measure below.
David RobinsonMetricLarry Bird
725Listed-team regular-season wins751Leads
65.0%Listed-team winning percentage70.5%Leads
1050-win team seasons12Leads
260-win team seasons6Leads
13Playoff team seasons13
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
Larry Bird leads every available measure below.
David RobinsonMetricLarry Bird
12Playoff appearances12
123Playoff games164Leads
74Team playoff wins104Leads
2Finals appearances5Leads
2Championships3Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
The advantages are split across the available measures.
David RobinsonMetricLarry Bird
10All-Star12Leads
1MVP3Leads
10All-NBA10
8LeadsAll-Defense3
1LeadsDPOY0
1Rookie of the Year1
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.
Career Shape Explorer
How the careers developed
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
David RobinsonLarry BirdPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.
Season-by-season evidenceRead both careers at the same stage
Every observed season keeps its age, era-centered impact estimate, league rank when qualified, career-stage label, and exact evidence link. A missing career point stays missing.
David RobinsonNBA seasonLarry Bird
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Observed values come from the accepted season comparison record. Historical source qualifications stay attached to affected seasons. Missing means no NBA season exists at that aligned point; it is never interpolated. Missing is not the same as estimated.