Kawhi Leonard
2011–12 to 2025–26 · 14 seasons · active
NBA player comparison
Kawhi Leonard vs. Larry Bird: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Larry Bird ranks higher in career impact so far
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.
#35Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#9Leads
+8.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+8.8
+7.8Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+8.5Leads
3.3Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better1.0Leads
0Seasons ranked No. 14Leads
+4,051 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+6,247 ptsLeads
Career Impact Rank places Larry Bird #9 and Kawhi Leonard #35. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Kawhi Leonard had the higher single-season impact estimate.
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 calculatedKawhi Leonard4.827 · No. 35Larry 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.
Kawhi Leonard
4.827 composite · No. 35 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 32016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32025–26No. 42015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 3.333 | 50% | 1.667 |
| Best 5No. 32016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32025–26No. 42015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 82014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 5.000 | 30% | 1.500 |
| Best 10No. 32016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32025–26No. 42015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 82014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112023–24No. 122020–21No. 122022–23No. 132013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 8.300 | 20% | 1.660 |
1.667 + 1.500 + 1.660= 4.827
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 | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank | #35 | #9Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 3.3 | 1.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 5.0 | 1.2Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 8.3 | 3.7Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #44 | #20Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +8.9Better result for this metric. | +8.8 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +8.3 | +8.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +7.8 | +8.5Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +6.6 | +7.2Better result for this metric. |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +4,051 pts | +6,247 ptsBetter result for this metric. |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 4Better result for this metric. |
| Top-five impact seasons | 3 | 7Better result for this metric. |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 6 | 10Better result for this metric. |
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 | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 798 | 897 |
| Minutes | 25,368 | 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 | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 60.7%Better result for this metric. | 56.4% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 60.9%Better result for this metric. | 56.8% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 49.9%Better result for this metric. | 49.6% |
| Three-point percentage | 39.1%Better result for this metric. | 37.6% |
| Free-throw percentage | 86.3% | 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 | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 18.1% | 25.9%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 3.1 | 6.3Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 8.9%Better result for this metric. | 12.5% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 11.3% | 14.2%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 6.4 | 10.0Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.7%Better result for this metric. | 2.1% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.6%Better result for this metric. | 1.3% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Kawhi Leonard | Larry Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 20.7 | 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.
Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.
Regular Season Impact
Larry Bird ranks higher in career impact so far.
Kawhi LeonardMetricLarry Bird
#35Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#9Leads
+8.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+8.8
+7.8Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+8.5Leads
+4,051 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.
Kawhi LeonardMetricLarry Bird
741Listed-team regular-season wins751Leads
66.6%Listed-team winning percentage70.5%Leads
950-win team seasons12Leads
360-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.
Kawhi LeonardMetricLarry Bird
12Playoff appearances12
146Playoff games164Leads
97Team playoff wins104Leads
3Finals 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.
Kawhi LeonardMetricLarry Bird
7All-Star12Leads
0MVP3Leads
7All-NBA10Leads
7LeadsAll-Defense3
2LeadsDPOY0
0Rookie of the Year1Leads
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. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.
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.
Kawhi LeonardLarry BirdPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Career to date. Active careers stop at the latest completed season; no future seasons are projected.
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.
Kawhi LeonardNBA 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
Season 14
No season
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.