Aaron Gordon vs. Karl Malone Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Karl Malone and Aaron Gordon, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

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.

Aaron Gordon played 11 years in the NBA, 8 less than Karl Malone, who played 19. Aaron Gordon had the first of his seasons in 2014-15, while Karl Malone had his rookie season in 1985-86. 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 achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Rookie Season
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2014-15	1985-86
Team	Orlando Magic	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	47	17.0	5.2	1.0	2.6	3.6	0.7	0.4	0.5	0.8	1.8	2.0	4.4	.447	0.3	1.0	.271	0.9	1.3	.721
difference:	+34	+13.6	+9.7	+1.1	+4.1	+5.3	+2.2	+0.9		-2.6	-1.8	+4.2	+8.1	+.049	+0.3	+1.0		+1.5	+3.7	+.240
Karl Malone	81	30.6	14.9	2.1	6.7	8.9	2.9	1.3	0.5	3.4	3.6	6.2	12.5	.496	0.0	0.0	-	2.4	5.0	.481
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Karl Malone	4	36.0	21.8	1.5	6.0	7.5	1.0	2.0	0.0	1.5	4.5	9.5	18.0	.528	0.0	0.0	-	2.8	6.5	.423

Season 3
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2016-17	1987-88
Team	Orlando Magic	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Second Team
	-	All-Defensive Second Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Jazz Lost West Conf Semis

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	80	28.7	12.7	1.5	3.6	5.1	1.9	0.8	0.5	1.1	2.2	4.9	10.8	.454	1.0	3.3	.288	2.0	2.7	.719
difference:	+2	+10.3	+15.0	+1.9	+5.0	+6.9	+0.5	+0.6	+0.1	-2.9	-1.4	+5.6	+9.3	+.066	+1.0	+3.2	+.288	+4.7	+6.9	+.019
Karl Malone	82	39.0	27.7	3.4	8.6	12.0	2.4	1.4	0.6	4.0	3.6	10.5	20.1	.520	0.0	0.1	.000	6.7	9.6	.700
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Karl Malone	11	44.9	29.7	3.0	8.8	11.8	1.5	1.2	0.6	3.5	3.2	11.2	23.2	.482	0.0	0.1	.000	7.4	10.2	.723

Season 4
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2017-18	1988-89
Team	Orlando Magic	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
	-	All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	58	32.9	17.6	1.5	6.4	7.9	2.3	1.0	0.8	1.8	1.9	6.5	14.9	.434	2.0	5.9	.336	2.7	3.9	.698
difference:	+22	+6.2	+11.5	+1.7	+1.0	+2.8	+0.4	+0.8	+0.1	-1.8	-1.7	+3.6	+4.6	+.085	+1.9	+5.7	+.023	+6.1	+7.6	+.068
Karl Malone	80	39.1	29.1	3.2	7.4	10.7	2.7	1.8	0.9	3.6	3.6	10.1	19.5	.519	0.1	0.2	.313	8.8	11.5	.766
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Karl Malone	3	45.3	30.7	7.3	9.0	16.3	1.3	1.0	0.3	4.3	5.3	11.0	22.0	.500	0.0	0.0	-	8.7	10.7	.813

Season 5
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2018-19	1989-90
Team	Orlando Magic	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Magic Lost East Conf 1st Rd	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	78	33.8	16.0	1.7	5.7	7.4	3.7	0.7	0.7	2.1	2.2	6.0	13.4	.449	1.6	4.4	.349	2.4	3.2	.731
difference:	+4	+4.3	+15.0	+1.1	+2.6	+3.7	+0.9	+0.8	+0.1	-1.6	-1.0	+5.1	+6.4	+.113	+1.4	+3.9	+.023	+6.1	+7.9	+.031
Karl Malone	82	38.1	31.0	2.8	8.3	11.1	2.8	1.5	0.6	3.7	3.2	11.1	19.8	.562	0.2	0.5	.372	8.5	11.1	.762
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	5	32.8	15.2	2.2	5.0	7.2	3.6	1.2	0.2	2.6	3.2	5.8	12.4	.468	1.6	4.0	.400	2.0	3.8	.526
difference:		+7.8	+10.0	+1.0	+2.0	+3.0	+1.4	+1.0	+0.8	-0.2	-1.2	+3.4	+8.6	+.030	+1.6	+3.8	+.400	+4.8	+5.2	+.230
Karl Malone	5	40.6	25.2	3.2	7.0	10.2	2.2	2.2	1.0	2.4	4.4	9.2	21.0	.438	0.0	0.2	.000	6.8	9.0	.756

Season 6
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2019-20	1990-91
Team	Orlando Magic	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Jazz Lost West Conf Semis

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	62	32.5	14.4	1.7	5.9	7.7	3.7	0.8	0.6	1.6	2.0	5.4	12.4	.437	1.2	3.8	.308	2.4	3.6	.674
difference:	+20	+7.8	+14.6	+1.2	+3.0	+4.1	+0.4	+0.3	+0.4	-1.4	-1.3	+4.9	+7.2	+.090	+1.2	+3.6	+.022	+5.9	+7.2	+.096
Karl Malone	82	40.3	29.0	2.9	8.9	11.8	3.3	1.1	1.0	3.0	3.3	10.3	19.6	.527	0.0	0.2	.286	8.3	10.8	.770
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Karl Malone	9	42.6	29.7	2.6	10.8	13.3	3.2	1.0	1.2	2.9	3.9	10.6	23.2	.455	0.0	0.9	.000	8.6	10.1	.846

Season 7
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2020-21	1991-92
Team	Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Nuggets Lost West Conf Semis	Jazz Lost West Conf Finals

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7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	50	27.7	12.4	1.5	4.1	5.7	3.2	0.7	0.7	1.9	1.8	4.6	10.0	.463	1.2	3.5	.335	1.9	3.0	.651
difference:	+31	+10.0	+15.6	+1.3	+4.3	+5.5	+0.2	+0.6	+0.1	-1.2	-1.0	+5.3	+8.7	+.063	+1.2	+3.3	+.159	+6.4	+7.7	+.127
Karl Malone	81	37.7	28.0	2.8	8.4	11.2	3.0	1.3	0.6	3.1	2.8	9.9	18.7	.526	0.0	0.2	.176	8.3	10.7	.778
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	10	29.9	11.1	2.1	3.3	5.4	2.0	0.5	0.3	1.4	2.3	4.3	9.9	.434	0.9	2.3	.391	1.6	2.5	.640
difference:	+6	+13.1	+18.0	+0.6	+5.3	+5.9	+0.6	+0.9	+0.9	-1.5	-1.3	+5.0	+7.9	+.087	+0.9	+2.2	+.391	+9.0	+10.6	+.165
Karl Malone	16	43.0	29.1	2.7	8.6	11.3	2.6	1.4	1.2	2.9	3.6	9.3	17.8	.521	0.0	0.1	.000	10.6	13.1	.805

Season 8
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2021-22	1992-93
Team	Denver Nuggets	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
	-	All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs	Nuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	75	31.7	15.0	1.7	4.2	5.9	2.5	0.6	0.6	1.8	2.0	5.8	11.1	.520	1.2	3.5	.335	2.3	3.1	.743
difference:	+7	+6.1	+12.0	+1.1	+4.2	+5.3	+1.3	+0.9	+0.4	-1.1	-1.2	+3.9	+6.5	+.032	+1.2	+3.3	+.135	+5.2	+7.1	+.003
Karl Malone	82	37.8	27.0	2.8	8.4	11.2	3.8	1.5	1.0	2.9	3.2	9.7	17.6	.552	0.0	0.2	.200	7.5	10.2	.740
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	5	32.0	13.8	3.6	3.6	7.2	2.6	0.4	1.2	1.6	2.8	4.6	10.8	.426	0.6	3.0	.200	4.0	5.6	.714
difference:		+11.2	+10.2	+1.2	+4.4	+3.2	+0.6	+0.8	+0.8	-2.4	-1.4	+4.2	+8.6	+.028	+0.4	+2.6	+.300	+2.2	+2.0	+.102
Karl Malone	5	43.2	24.0	2.4	8.0	10.4	2.0	1.2	0.4	4.0	4.2	8.8	19.4	.454	0.2	0.4	.500	6.2	7.6	.816

Season 9
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2022-23	1993-94
Team	Denver Nuggets	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Jazz Lost West Conf Finals

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9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	68	30.2	16.3	2.4	4.1	6.6	3.0	0.8	0.8	1.4	1.9	6.3	11.2	.564	0.9	2.5	.347	2.8	4.6	.608
difference:	+14	+10.4	+8.9	+0.5	+4.5	+4.9	+1.0	+0.7	+0.7	-1.5	-1.4	+3.1	+7.7	+.067	+0.8	+2.1	+.097	+3.4	+4.4	+.086
Karl Malone	82	40.6	25.2	2.9	8.6	11.5	4.0	1.5	1.5	2.9	3.3	9.4	18.9	.497	0.1	0.4	.250	6.2	9.0	.694
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	20	35.7	13.3	2.5	3.6	6.0	2.6	0.6	0.7	1.0	2.9	5.1	9.8	.518	0.9	2.3	.391	2.3	3.5	.652
difference:	+4	+8.2	+13.8	+0.8	+5.5	+6.4	+0.8	+0.8	+0.1	-1.1	-0.8	+4.8	+11.3	+.051	+0.9	+2.0	+.391	+5.1	+6.5	+.086
Karl Malone	16	43.9	27.1	3.3	9.1	12.4	3.4	1.4	0.8	2.1	3.7	9.9	21.1	.467	0.0	0.3	.000	7.4	10.0	.738

Season 10
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2023-24	1994-95
Team	Denver Nuggets	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Nuggets Lost West Conf Semis	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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10th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	73	31.5	13.9	2.4	4.1	6.5	3.5	0.8	0.6	1.4	1.9	5.5	9.8	.556	0.5	1.9	.290	2.4	3.7	.658
difference:	+9	+6.6	+12.8	+0.5	+4.6	+4.1		+0.8	+0.4	-1.5	-1.4	+4.6	+9.1	+.020	+0.4	+1.4	+.022	+3.9	+4.8	+.084
Karl Malone	82	38.1	26.7	1.9	8.7	10.6	3.5	1.6	1.0	2.9	3.3	10.1	18.9	.536	0.1	0.5	.268	6.3	8.5	.742
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	12	37.1	14.3	3.0	4.3	7.3	4.4	0.8	0.6	1.5	2.3	5.8	9.8	.585	0.9	2.3	.407	1.9	2.3	.821
difference:	+7	+6.1	+15.9		+5.9	+5.9	+0.6	+0.6	+0.2	-1.3	-1.3	+3.8	+10.8	+.119	+0.7	+1.7	+.074	+8.9	+13.3	+.129
Karl Malone	5	43.2	30.2	3.0	10.2	13.2	3.8	1.4	0.4	2.8	3.6	9.6	20.6	.466	0.2	0.6	.333	10.8	15.6	.692

Season 11
	Aaron Gordon	Karl Malone
Season	2024-25	1995-96
Team	Denver Nuggets	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Nuggets Lost West Conf Semis	Jazz Lost West Conf Finals

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11th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	51	28.4	14.7	1.6	3.3	4.8	3.2	0.5	0.3	1.4	1.6	5.2	9.7	.531	1.5	3.4	.436	2.8	3.5	.810
difference:	+31	+9.6	+11.0	+0.5	+4.4	+5.0	+1.0	+1.2	+0.4	-1.0	-1.4	+4.4	+8.8	+.012	+1.3	+2.9	+.036	+3.4	+5.1	+.087
Karl Malone	82	38.0	25.7	2.1	7.7	9.8	4.2	1.7	0.7	2.4	3.0	9.6	18.5	.519	0.2	0.5	.400	6.2	8.6	.723
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Aaron Gordon	14	37.3	16.2	3.6	4.0	7.6	2.7	0.6	0.4	1.9	2.4	5.8	11.9	.485	1.6	4.1	.379	3.1	3.6	.860
difference:	+4	+3.0	+10.3	+1.0	+3.7	+2.7	+1.7	+1.3	+0.2	-0.6	-1.0	+4.6	+10.4	+.016	+1.6	+3.9	+.379	+2.5	+6.2	+.286
Karl Malone	18	40.3	26.5	2.6	7.7	10.3	4.4	1.9	0.6	2.5	3.4	10.4	22.3	.469	0.0	0.2	.000	5.6	9.8	.574

Additional Years
* Karl Malone played 8 seasons more than Aaron Gordon in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 12 to 19, from 1997 to 2004—Karl Malone played in 8 Playoffs. In those 8 extra years over Aaron Gordon, Karl Malone got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	2 Season MVP 3 All-NBA First Team 1 All-NBA Second Team 1 All-NBA Third Team 3 All-Defensive First Team 5 All-Star Game