The Tape
Was Bernard King better than David Robinson?
Bernard King, 1977-1993, against David Robinson, 1989-2003. The numbers levelled to one league, then the call.
Method, stated plainly: scoring is adjusted to a league averaging 114 points per team per game. Rebounds and assists are printed as they were recorded, with the league scoring rate beside them, because a rebound in 1962 came out of a different number of missed shots and we will not pretend one multiplier fixes that. Career lines for active players run through 2024-25.
What the numbers say
Adjusted to a league averaging 114 points a game, their best seasons score the same: Bernard King at 33.9 a game in 1984-85, David Robinson at 33.5 in 1993-94. The scoring argument is a tie and anyone who claims otherwise is quoting raw numbers from different leagues.
David Robinson wins the glass by 5.5 rebounds a game (10.7 to 5.2), which in his era meant standing in traffic rather than waiting for a long one.
Bernard King: A scoring title at 53.0% from the field, almost entirely from inside 18 feet, and a comeback from a torn ACL nobody else had made. David Robinson: An MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year and a scoring title closed out with 71 points on the last day of the season.
The numbers are free. The verdict is in the Vault.
13 Dossiers, every Dispatch ever sent, and the Tape. One payment, $39, yours for good. The archive keeps growing every morning after you have paid.
Every pairing in the file makes the call in writing, and pass holders read all of them.
5 Dispatches in the archive so far, and one more every morning. 14-day refund, no questions asked.
Read the file: Bernard KingDavid Robinson
The next argument
Get the Dispatch
One email a day: what happened last night, and the game, player or era from history it rhymes with. Four minutes at breakfast, free forever.
Free forever. One tap to leave.