Walt Bellamy vs. Ralph Sampson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ralph Sampson and Walt Bellamy, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Walt Bellamy played 14 years in the NBA, 5 more than Ralph Sampson, who played 9. Walt Bellamy had the first of his seasons in 1961-62, while Ralph Sampson had his rookie season in 1983-84. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achivements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Walt Bellamy 14 7 1961-62 to 1974-75
Ralph Sampson 9 4 1983-84 to 1991-92

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14

Rookie Season

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1961-621983-84
Team Chicago PackersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the YearAchievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 79 42.3 31.6 - - 19.0 2.7 - - - 3.6 12.3 23.7 .519 - - - 6.9 10.8 .644
Ralph Sampson 82 32.8 21.0 3.6 7.6 11.1 2.0 0.9 2.4 3.6 4.1 8.7 16.7 .523 0.0 0.0 .250 3.5 5.3 .661
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 2

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1962-631984-85
Team Chicago ZephyrsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game NVP
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 80 41.3 27.9 - - 16.4 2.9 - - - 3.5 10.5 19.9 .527 - - - 6.9 10.3 .674
Ralph Sampson 82 37.6 22.1 2.8 7.6 10.4 2.7 1.0 2.0 4.0 3.7 9.2 18.3 .502 0.0 0.1 .000 3.7 5.5 .676
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson 5 38.6 21.2 5.0 11.6 16.6 1.4 0.4 1.6 3.4 4.6 8.6 20.0 .430 0.2 0.2 1.000 3.8 7.4 .514

Season 3

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1963-641985-86
Team Baltimore BulletsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 80 42.4 27.0 - - 17.0 1.6 - - - 3.8 10.1 19.8 .513 - - - 6.7 10.3 .651
Ralph Sampson 79 36.3 18.9 3.3 7.9 11.1 3.6 1.3 1.6 3.6 3.9 7.9 16.2 .488 0.0 0.2 .133 3.1 4.8 .641
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson 20 37.1 20.0 3.3 7.5 10.8 4.0 1.5 1.8 3.6 4.0 7.8 15.1 .518 0.1 0.1 1.000 4.3 5.9 .729

Season 4

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1964-651986-87
Team Baltimore BulletsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Bullets Lost West Div FinalsRockets Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 80 41.3 24.8 - - 14.6 2.4 - - - 3.3 9.2 18.0 .509 - - - 6.4 9.4 .685
Ralph Sampson 43 30.8 15.6 2.0 6.6 8.7 2.8 0.9 1.3 2.9 3.9 6.4 13.2 .489 0.0 0.1 .000 2.7 4.4 .624
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 10 42.7 20.9 - - 15.1 3.4 - - - 3.8 7.4 15.8 .468 - - - 6.1 9.2 .663
Ralph Sampson 10 33.0 18.6 2.7 6.1 8.8 2.1 0.2 1.2 3.1 4.7 7.5 14.6 .514 0.1 0.2 .500 3.5 4.3 .814

Season 5

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1965-661987-88
Team Baltimore Bullets, New York KnicksHouston Rockets, Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 80 41.9 22.8 - - 15.7 2.9 - - - 3.7 8.7 17.2 .506 - - - 5.4 8.6 .624
Ralph Sampson 48 34.6 15.6 2.9 6.7 9.6 2.5 0.9 1.8 3.6 3.4 6.2 14.2 .438 0.0 0.2 .182 3.1 4.1 .760
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 6

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1966-671988-89
Team New York KnicksGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Div SemisWarriors Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 79 38.1 19.0 - - 13.5 2.6 - - - 3.5 7.2 13.7 .521 - - - 4.7 7.3 .636
Ralph Sampson 61 17.8 6.4 1.7 3.3 5.0 1.3 0.5 1.1 1.5 2.8 2.7 6.0 .449 0.0 0.1 .375 1.0 1.6 .653
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 4 39.3 18.3 - - 16.5 3.0 - - - 3.8 7.0 13.5 .519 - - - 4.3 7.3 .586
Ralph Sampson 3 14.3 6.7 2.0 2.7 4.7 0.3 0.3 0.7 1.3 2.7 3.0 7.3 .409 0.0 1.3 .000 0.7 1.3 .500

Season 7

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1967-681989-90
Team New York KnicksSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Div SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 82 32.9 16.7 - - 11.7 2.0 - - - 3.2 6.2 11.5 .541 - - - 4.3 6.5 .662
Ralph Sampson 26 16.0 4.2 0.4 2.8 3.2 1.1 0.5 0.8 1.3 2.5 1.8 5.0 .372 0.0 0.2 .250 0.5 0.9 .522
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 6 46.2 20.0 - - 16.0 3.5 - - - 3.7 7.5 17.8 .421 - - - 5.0 8.0 .625
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 8

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1968-691990-91
Team New York Knicks, Detroit PistonsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 88 35.9 17.4 - - 12.5 2.0 - - - 3.6 6.4 12.5 .510 - - - 4.6 7.0 .649
Ralph Sampson 25 13.9 3.0 1.6 2.8 4.4 0.7 0.4 0.7 1.1 2.2 1.4 3.7 .366 0.0 0.2 .200 0.2 0.8 .263
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 9

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1969-701991-92
Team Detroit Pistons, Atlanta HawksWashington Bullets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 79 25.7 11.6 - - 8.9 1.8 - - - 3.3 4.4 8.5 .523 - - - 2.7 4.7 .576
Ralph Sampson 10 10.8 2.2 1.1 1.9 3.0 0.4 0.3 0.8 1.0 1.4 0.9 2.9 .310 0.0 0.2 .000 0.4 0.6 .667
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 9 40.9 16.8 - - 15.6 3.9 - - - 3.6 6.6 14.0 .468 - - - 3.7 5.1 .717
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 10

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1970-71-
Team Atlanta Hawks-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Hawks Lost East Conf Semis-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 82 35.5 14.7 - - 12.9 2.8 - - - 3.3 5.3 10.7 .493 - - - 4.1 6.8 .604
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 5 43.2 20.8 - - 14.4 2.0 - - - 3.2 8.2 13.8 .594 - - - 4.4 5.8 .759
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 11

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1971-72-
Team Atlanta Hawks-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Hawks Lost East Conf Semis-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 82 38.9 18.6 - - 12.8 3.2 - - - 3.1 7.2 13.3 .545 - - - 4.1 7.1 .585
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 6 41.2 18.5 - - 13.7 1.8 - - - 3.3 7.0 14.3 .488 - - - 4.5 7.2 .628
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 12

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1972-73-
Team Atlanta Hawks-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Hawks Lost East Conf Semis-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 74 37.9 16.1 - - 13.0 2.4 - - - 3.3 6.1 12.2 .505 - - - 3.8 7.1 .538
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 6 41.2 13.7 - - 12.2 2.2 - - - 2.8 5.7 14.3 .395 - - - 2.3 5.2 .452
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 13

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1973-74-
Team Atlanta Hawks-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 77 31.7 13.1 3.4 6.2 9.6 2.5 0.7 0.6 - 3.0 5.1 10.4 .486 - - - 3.0 5.0 .608
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 14

Walt Bellamy Ralph Sampson
Season 1974-75-
Team New Orleans Jazz-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy 1 14.0 6.0 0.0 5.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.000 - - - 2.0 2.0 1.000
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Walt Bellamy ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------