Willie Burton vs. Arvydas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Arvydas Sabonis and Willie Burton, 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 / Games against each other

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.

Willie Burton played 8 years in the NBA, 1 more than Arvydas Sabonis, who played 7. Willie Burton had the first of his seasons in 1990-91, while Arvydas Sabonis had his rookie season in 1995-96. 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
Willie Burton 8 1 1990-91 to 1998-99
Arvydas Sabonis 7 7 1995-96 to 2002-03

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

Rookie Season

Willie Burton Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1990-911995-96
Team Miami HeatPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Burton 76 25.4 12.0 1.5 2.0 3.4 1.4 0.9 0.3 1.9 3.6 4.5 10.2 .441 0.1 0.4 .133 3.0 3.9 .782
Arvydas Sabonis 73 23.8 14.5 2.0 6.0 8.1 1.8 0.9 1.1 2.1 2.9 5.4 9.9 .545 0.5 1.4 .375 3.2 4.2 .757
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 5 35.4 23.6 2.4 7.8 10.2 1.8 0.8 0.6 2.0 3.4 7.0 16.2 .432 1.0 1.8 .556 8.6 12.0 .717

Season 2

Willie Burton Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1991-921996-97
Team Miami HeatPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Burton 68 23.3 11.2 1.1 2.5 3.6 1.8 0.7 0.5 1.8 2.7 4.1 9.1 .450 0.1 0.2 .400 2.9 3.6 .800
Arvydas Sabonis 69 25.5 13.4 1.7 6.3 7.9 2.1 0.9 1.2 2.2 2.9 4.8 9.5 .498 0.7 1.9 .371 3.2 4.2 .777
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 4 26.8 11.3 2.0 4.5 6.5 2.3 0.8 0.8 2.3 4.8 4.5 10.5 .429 0.5 2.0 .250 1.8 2.0 .875

Season 3

Willie Burton Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1992-931997-98
Team Miami HeatPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Burton 26 17.3 7.8 0.8 1.8 2.7 0.6 0.5 0.6 1.9 2.2 2.1 5.4 .383 0.2 0.6 .333 3.5 4.9 .717
Arvydas Sabonis 73 32.0 16.0 2.0 7.9 10.0 3.0 0.9 1.1 2.6 3.7 5.6 11.3 .493 0.4 1.6 .261 4.4 5.5 .798
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 4 26.8 12.3 1.8 6.0 7.8 1.5 1.8 0.8 2.5 4.8 4.5 10.0 .450 0.3 0.5 .500 3.0 3.5 .857

Season 4

Willie Burton Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1993-941998-99
Team Miami HeatPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Heat Lost East Conf 1st RdTrail Blazers Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton 53 13.2 7.0 0.9 1.6 2.6 0.7 0.3 0.4 1.0 1.8 2.3 5.3 .438 0.1 0.3 .200 2.3 3.0 .759
Arvydas Sabonis 50 27.0 12.1 1.8 6.1 7.9 2.4 0.7 1.3 1.7 2.9 4.6 9.6 .485 0.1 0.5 .292 2.7 3.5 .771
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton 2 5.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.5 0.5 2.0 .250 0.0 1.0 .000 0.0 0.0 -
Arvydas Sabonis 13 30.1 10.0 0.9 7.8 8.8 2.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 2.7 3.5 8.7 .398 0.1 0.4 .200 3.0 3.3 .907

Season 5

Willie Burton Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1994-951999-00
Team Philadelphia 76ersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton 53 29.5 15.3 0.9 2.2 3.1 1.8 0.6 0.4 2.3 3.2 4.6 11.4 .401 2.0 5.2 .385 4.2 5.0 .824
Arvydas Sabonis 66 25.6 11.8 1.5 6.3 7.8 1.8 0.7 1.2 1.5 2.8 4.6 9.1 .505 0.1 0.3 .368 2.5 3.0 .843
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 16 30.8 11.3 1.2 5.5 6.7 1.9 0.9 0.8 1.6 3.7 4.3 9.4 .453 0.4 1.3 .286 2.4 3.1 .796

Note: Willie Burton didn't play in 1995-96.

Season 6

Willie Burton Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1996-972000-01
Team Atlanta HawksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Burton 24 15.8 6.2 0.5 1.3 1.7 0.5 0.3 0.1 1.1 2.3 1.6 4.8 .336 0.5 1.9 .283 2.4 2.8 .838
Arvydas Sabonis 61 21.3 10.1 0.8 4.6 5.4 1.5 0.7 1.0 1.4 2.2 4.0 8.5 .479 0.0 0.2 .067 2.0 2.6 .776
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 3 35.0 11.3 2.7 5.7 8.3 2.7 0.3 2.3 0.7 4.0 4.7 9.7 .483 0.0 0.7 .000 2.0 2.7 .750

Note: Arvydas Sabonis didn't play in 2001-02.

Season 7

Willie Burton Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1997-982002-03
Team San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Burton 13 3.3 2.1 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.6 1.6 .381 0.2 0.7 .333 0.6 0.9 .667
Arvydas Sabonis 78 15.5 6.1 1.1 3.2 4.3 1.8 0.8 0.6 1.0 1.8 2.2 4.6 .476 0.0 0.1 .500 1.7 2.1 .787
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 6 14.5 10.0 1.0 3.0 4.0 0.8 0.7 0.7 1.0 2.3 4.0 6.0 .667 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.5 .800

Season 8

Willie Burton Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1998-99-
Team Charlotte Hornets-
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 %
Willie Burton 3 6.0 1.3 1.3 0.7 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.7 0.3 2.3 .143 0.0 0.3 .000 0.7 1.3 .500
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Burton ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------