Yao Ming vs. Josh Richardson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Josh Richardson and Yao Ming, 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.

Yao Ming played 8 years in the NBA, 1 less than Josh Richardson, who played 9. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Josh Richardson had his rookie season in 2015-16. 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
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11
Josh Richardson 9 4 2015-16 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season 2002-032015-16
Team Houston RocketsMiami Heat
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayHeat 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 %
Yao Ming 82 29.0 13.5 2.4 5.8 8.2 1.7 0.4 1.8 2.1 2.8 4.9 9.8 .498 0.0 0.0 .500 3.7 4.5 .811
Josh Richardson 52 21.3 6.6 0.4 1.7 2.1 1.4 0.7 0.5 0.7 2.1 2.4 5.2 .452 1.0 2.2 .461 0.8 1.2 .667
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Josh Richardson 14 27.6 6.6 0.7 2.9 3.6 1.6 0.4 0.9 0.9 2.6 2.4 6.4 .371 1.2 3.3 .370 0.7 1.0 .714

Season 2
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season 2003-042016-17
Team Houston RocketsMiami Heat
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 82 32.8 17.5 2.4 6.6 9.0 1.5 0.3 1.9 2.5 3.3 6.5 12.5 .522 0.0 0.0 .000 4.4 5.4 .809
Josh Richardson 53 30.5 10.2 0.7 2.5 3.2 2.6 1.1 0.7 1.2 2.5 3.8 9.7 .394 1.4 4.3 .330 1.1 1.5 .779
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 5 37.6 15.0 2.2 5.2 7.4 1.8 0.4 1.4 2.6 4.0 6.2 13.6 .456 0.0 0.0 - 2.6 3.4 .765
Josh Richardson ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season 2004-052017-18
Team Houston RocketsMiami Heat
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdHeat Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 80 30.6 18.3 2.6 5.8 8.4 0.8 0.4 2.0 2.5 3.7 6.7 12.2 .552 0.0 0.0 - 4.9 6.2 .783
Josh Richardson 81 33.2 12.9 0.9 2.7 3.5 2.9 1.5 0.9 1.7 2.5 4.9 10.9 .451 1.6 4.1 .378 1.5 1.8 .845
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 7 31.9 21.4 3.3 4.4 7.7 0.7 0.3 2.7 2.7 4.4 7.9 12.0 .655 0.0 0.0 - 5.7 7.9 .727
Josh Richardson 5 26.0 8.4 0.8 2.2 3.0 2.8 2.2 1.0 1.0 3.4 3.0 8.0 .375 1.2 3.8 .316 1.2 1.4 .857

Season 4
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season 2005-062018-19
Team Houston RocketsMiami Heat
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement 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 %
Yao Ming 57 34.2 22.3 2.6 7.6 10.2 1.5 0.5 1.6 2.6 3.4 8.2 15.8 .519 0.0 0.0 .000 5.9 6.9 .853
Josh Richardson 73 34.8 16.6 0.7 2.9 3.6 4.1 1.1 0.5 1.5 2.7 5.8 14.1 .412 2.2 6.3 .357 2.7 3.2 .861
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Josh Richardson ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season 2006-072019-20
Team Houston RocketsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd76ers Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 48 33.8 25.0 2.1 7.3 9.4 2.0 0.4 2.0 3.5 3.3 8.8 17.1 .516 0.0 0.0 .000 7.4 8.6 .862
Josh Richardson 55 30.8 13.7 0.7 2.4 3.2 2.9 0.9 0.7 1.9 2.5 5.1 11.7 .430 1.5 4.5 .341 2.1 2.6 .809
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 7 37.1 25.1 3.3 7.0 10.3 0.9 0.1 0.7 4.7 3.9 7.9 17.9 .440 0.0 0.0 - 9.4 10.7 .880
Josh Richardson 4 36.0 16.8 1.0 2.8 3.8 3.3 0.5 0.5 2.0 3.0 5.0 14.0 .357 2.5 7.0 .357 4.3 4.5 .944

Season 6
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season 2007-082020-21
Team Houston RocketsDallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayMavericks 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 %
Yao Ming 55 37.2 22.0 3.1 7.7 10.8 2.3 0.5 2.0 3.3 3.1 7.9 15.5 .507 0.0 0.0 .000 6.3 7.4 .850
Josh Richardson 59 30.3 12.1 0.9 2.4 3.3 2.6 1.0 0.4 1.3 2.2 4.5 10.5 .427 1.5 4.5 .330 1.7 1.8 .917
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Josh Richardson 7 13.4 4.9 0.4 1.1 1.6 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.9 1.1 1.6 4.0 .393 0.4 1.4 .300 1.3 1.3 1.000

Season 7
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season 2008-092021-22
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 77 33.6 19.7 2.6 7.2 9.9 1.8 0.4 1.9 3.0 3.3 7.4 13.4 .548 0.0 0.0 1.000 4.9 5.7 .866
Josh Richardson 65 24.6 10.2 0.6 2.2 2.8 1.8 0.9 0.4 1.0 1.8 3.6 8.2 .438 1.6 3.8 .415 1.5 1.7 .889
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 9 35.9 17.1 2.1 8.8 10.9 1.0 0.4 1.2 1.9 3.0 6.0 11.0 .545 0.0 0.0 - 5.1 5.7 .902
Josh Richardson ------- --- ----------

Note: Yao Ming didn't play in 2009-10.

Season 8
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season 2010-112022-23
Team Houston RocketsSan Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans
Honors & Awards Achievement 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 %
Yao Ming 5 18.2 10.2 1.4 4.0 5.4 0.8 0.0 1.6 1.4 2.6 3.6 7.4 .486 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 3.2 .938
Josh Richardson 65 23.5 10.1 0.6 2.1 2.7 2.7 1.1 0.3 1.3 1.8 3.7 8.5 .431 1.6 4.5 .365 1.1 1.2 .852
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Josh Richardson ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Yao Ming Josh Richardson
Season -2023-24
Team -Miami Heat
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 %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Josh Richardson 43 25.7 9.9 0.4 2.4 2.8 2.4 0.6 0.3 0.8 1.8 3.6 8.1 .444 1.5 4.4 .347 1.2 1.3 .944
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Josh Richardson ------- --- ----------
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