Yao Ming vs. Michael Ruffin Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Michael Ruffin 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 / 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.

Yao Ming played 8 years in the NBA, 1 less than Michael Ruffin, who played 9. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Michael Ruffin had his rookie season in 1999-00. 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
Michael Ruffin 9 4 1999-00 to 2008-09

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season 2002-031999-00
Team Houston RocketsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First 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 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
Michael Ruffin 71 13.7 2.2 1.6 1.9 3.5 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.8 2.4 0.8 1.9 .420 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 1.2 .489
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Michael Ruffin ------- --- ----------

Season 2

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season 2003-042000-01
Team Houston RocketsChicago Bulls
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
Michael Ruffin 45 19.5 2.6 2.2 3.6 5.8 0.9 0.7 0.8 1.0 2.9 0.9 2.0 .444 0.0 0.0 - 0.9 1.7 .506
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
Michael Ruffin ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season 2004-052001-02
Team Houston RocketsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards 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 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
Michael Ruffin 15 11.3 1.1 1.5 1.9 3.4 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.7 1.5 0.5 1.7 .269 0.0 0.0 - 0.1 0.5 .250
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
Michael Ruffin ------- --- ----------

Note: Michael Ruffin didn't play in 2002-03.

Season 4

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season 2005-062003-04
Team Houston RocketsUtah Jazz
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
Michael Ruffin 41 17.9 2.2 1.9 3.1 5.0 1.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 2.5 0.9 2.9 .325 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 0.9 .421
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Michael Ruffin ------- --- ----------

Season 5

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season 2006-072004-05
Team Houston RocketsWashington Wizards
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdWizards 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 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
Michael Ruffin 79 16.0 1.4 2.0 2.2 4.2 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.6 2.4 0.5 1.3 .414 0.0 0.0 .000 0.4 0.8 .433
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
Michael Ruffin 9 17.3 2.6 1.7 2.4 4.1 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.4 3.7 0.8 1.1 .700 0.0 0.0 - 1.0 1.8 .563

Season 6

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season 2007-082005-06
Team Houston RocketsWashington Wizards
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayWizards 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 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
Michael Ruffin 76 13.3 1.4 1.6 2.0 3.6 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 2.4 0.4 1.0 .442 0.0 0.0 .000 0.5 1.0 .500
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Michael Ruffin 6 11.7 0.3 1.0 1.7 2.7 0.7 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.7 0.2 0.3 .500 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.3 .000

Season 7

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season 2008-092006-07
Team Houston RocketsWashington Wizards
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisWizards 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 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
Michael Ruffin 30 9.0 0.6 1.2 0.9 2.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.4 1.4 0.2 0.6 .278 0.0 0.0 - 0.2 0.6 .368
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
Michael Ruffin 4 7.0 0.5 1.3 1.0 2.3 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.3 0.8 .333 0.0 0.3 .000 0.0 0.0 -

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

Season 8

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season 2010-112007-08
Team Houston RocketsMilwaukee Bucks
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
Michael Ruffin 46 13.7 2.0 2.0 2.1 4.0 0.5 0.7 0.4 0.4 2.0 0.7 1.3 .532 0.0 0.0 - 0.5 1.4 .397
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Michael Ruffin ------- --- ----------

Season 9

Yao Ming Michael Ruffin
Season -2008-09
Team -Portland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Trail 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 %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Michael Ruffin 11 3.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.6 0.2 0.6 .286 0.0 0.0 - 0.2 0.2 1.000
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Michael Ruffin 1 5.0 1.0 3.0 2.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 .000 0.0 0.0 - 1.0 2.0 .500