Charles Barkley vs. Wilt Chamberlain Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Wilt Chamberlain and Charles Barkley, 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 / Stats / Stats Rankings

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.

Charles Barkley played 16 years in the NBA, 2 more than Wilt Chamberlain, who played 14. Charles Barkley had the first of his seasons in 1984-85, while Wilt Chamberlain had his rookie season in 1959-60. 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.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Charles Barkley 16 13 1984-85 to 1999-00
Wilt Chamberlain 14 13 1959-60 to 1972-73

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14

Rookie Season

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1984-851959-60
Team Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Rookie of the Year
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
-Achievement Scoring Leader
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs 76ers Lost East Conf FinalsWarriors Lost East Div Finals
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 82 28.6 14.0 3.2 5.3 8.6 1.9 1.2 1.0 2.5 3.7 5.2 9.5 .545 0.0 0.1 .167 3.6 4.9 .733
difference:+10+17.8+23.6+18.4+0.4-1.6+9.6+22.6+.084+4.4+8.9+.151
Wilt Chamberlain 72 46.4 37.6 - - 27.0 2.3 - - - 2.1 14.8 32.1 .461 - - - 8.0 13.8 .582
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 13 31.4 14.9 4.0 7.1 11.1 2.0 1.8 1.2 2.7 3.8 5.8 10.7 .540 0.3 0.5 .667 3.1 4.8 .635
difference:+4+14.7+18.3+14.7+0.1-1.9+8.1+17.3+.044+2.3+7.4+.190
Wilt Chamberlain 9 46.1 33.2 - - 25.8 2.1 - - - 1.9 13.9 28.0 .496 - - - 5.4 12.2 .445

Season 2

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1985-861960-61
Team Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
-Achievement Scoring Leader
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs 76ers Lost East Conf SemisWarriors Lost East Div Semis
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 80 36.9 20.0 4.4 8.4 12.8 3.9 2.2 1.6 4.4 4.2 7.4 13.0 .572 0.2 0.9 .227 5.0 7.2 .685
difference:+1+10.9+18.4+14.4+2.0-2.6+8.4+18.1+.063+1.7+6.1+.181
Wilt Chamberlain 79 47.8 38.4 - - 27.2 1.9 - - - 1.6 15.8 31.1 .509 - - - 6.7 13.3 .504
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 12 41.4 25.0 5.0 10.8 15.8 5.6 2.3 1.3 5.4 4.3 8.7 15.0 .578 0.1 1.3 .067 7.6 10.9 .695
difference:+9+6.6+12.0+7.2+3.6-1.0+6.3+17.0+.109+0.6+1.8+.142
Wilt Chamberlain 3 48.0 37.0 - - 23.0 2.0 - - - 3.3 15.0 32.0 .469 - - - 7.0 12.7 .553

Season 3

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1986-871961-62
Team Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
-Achievement Scoring Leader
Achievement Rebounds LeaderAchievement Rebounds Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs 76ers Lost East Conf 1st RdWarriors Lost East Div Finals
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 68 40.3 23.0 5.7 8.9 14.6 4.9 1.8 1.5 4.7 3.7 8.2 13.8 .594 0.3 1.5 .202 6.3 8.3 .761
difference:+12+8.2+27.4+11.1+2.5-2.2+11.8+25.7+.088+4.1+8.7+.148
Wilt Chamberlain 80 48.5 50.4 - - 25.7 2.4 - - - 1.5 20.0 39.5 .506 - - - 10.4 17.0 .613
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 5 42.0 24.6 5.4 7.2 12.6 2.4 0.8 1.6 4.4 4.2 8.6 15.0 .573 0.2 1.6 .125 7.2 9.0 .800
difference:+7+6.0+10.4+14.0+0.7-1.9+4.9+13.9+.106+0.8+3.6+.164
Wilt Chamberlain 12 48.0 35.0 - - 26.6 3.1 - - - 2.3 13.5 28.9 .467 - - - 8.0 12.6 .636

Season 4

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1987-881962-63
Team Philadelphia 76ersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement Scoring Leader
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 80 39.6 28.3 4.8 7.1 11.9 3.2 1.3 1.3 3.8 3.5 9.4 16.0 .587 0.6 2.0 .280 8.9 11.9 .751
difference:+8.0+16.5+12.4+0.2-1.8+8.9+18.6+.059+0.6+2.0+.158
Wilt Chamberlain 80 47.6 44.8 - - 24.3 3.4 - - - 1.7 18.3 34.6 .528 - - - 8.3 13.9 .593
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Charles Barkley nor Wilt Chamberlain played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1988-891963-64
Team Philadelphia 76ersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First TeamAchievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Scoring Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs 76ers Lost East Conf 1st RdWarriors Lost NBA Finals
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 79 39.1 25.8 5.1 7.4 12.5 4.1 1.6 0.8 3.2 3.3 8.9 15.3 .579 0.4 2.1 .216 7.6 10.1 .753
difference:+1+7.0+11.1+9.8+0.9-1.0+6.2+13.4+.055+0.8+2.6+.222
Wilt Chamberlain 80 46.1 36.9 - - 22.3 5.0 - - - 2.3 15.1 28.7 .524 - - - 6.8 12.7 .531
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 3 45.0 27.0 2.7 9.0 11.7 5.3 1.7 0.7 3.7 3.0 9.7 15.0 .644 0.3 1.7 .200 7.3 10.3 .710
difference:+9+1.5+7.7+13.5+2.0-0.7+4.9+11.8+.101+1.8+1.3+.235
Wilt Chamberlain 12 46.5 34.7 - - 25.2 3.3 - - - 2.3 14.6 26.8 .543 - - - 5.5 11.6 .475

Season 6

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1989-901964-65
Team Philadelphia 76ersSan Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement Scoring Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs 76ers Lost East Conf Semis76ers Lost East Div Finals
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 79 39.1 25.2 4.6 6.9 11.5 3.9 1.9 0.6 3.1 3.2 8.9 14.9 .600 0.3 1.2 .217 7.1 9.4 .749
difference:+6+6.1+9.5+11.4+0.5-1.2+5.7+13.6+.090+1.5+2.7+.285
Wilt Chamberlain 73 45.2 34.7 - - 22.9 3.4 - - - 2.0 14.6 28.5 .510 - - - 5.6 12.1 .464
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 10 41.9 24.7 6.6 8.9 15.5 4.3 0.8 0.7 3.0 3.6 8.8 16.2 .543 0.6 1.8 .333 6.5 10.8 .602
difference:+1+6.8+4.6+11.7+0.1-1.0+2.4+4.9+.013+0.4+1.6+.043
Wilt Chamberlain 11 48.7 29.3 - - 27.2 4.4 - - - 2.6 11.2 21.1 .530 - - - 6.9 12.4 .559

Season 7

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1990-911965-66
Team Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
Achievement All-NBA First TeamAchievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Scoring Leader
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Achievement All-Star Game MVP-
Playoffs 76ers Lost East Conf Semis76ers Lost East Div Finals
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 67 37.3 27.6 3.9 6.3 10.1 4.2 1.6 0.5 3.1 2.6 9.9 17.4 .570 0.7 2.3 .284 7.1 9.8 .722
difference:+12+10.0+5.9+14.5+1.0-0.4+3.7+7.8+.030+0.8+2.6+.209
Wilt Chamberlain 79 47.3 33.5 - - 24.6 5.2 - - - 2.2 13.6 25.2 .540 - - - 6.3 12.4 .513
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 8 40.8 24.9 3.9 6.6 10.5 6.0 1.9 0.4 3.1 2.9 9.3 15.6 .592 0.3 2.5 .100 6.1 9.4 .653
difference:+3+7.2+3.1+19.7+3.0-0.9+1.9+6.4+.083+0.5+4.2+.241
Wilt Chamberlain 5 48.0 28.0 - - 30.2 3.0 - - - 2.0 11.2 22.0 .509 - - - 5.6 13.6 .412

Season 8

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1991-921966-67
Team Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 75 38.4 23.1 3.6 7.5 11.1 4.1 1.8 0.6 3.1 2.6 8.3 15.0 .552 0.4 1.8 .234 6.1 8.7 .695
difference:+6+7.1+1.0+13.1+3.7-0.8+1.4+0.8+.131+1.3+2.1+.254
Wilt Chamberlain 81 45.5 24.1 - - 24.2 7.8 - - - 1.8 9.7 14.2 .683 - - - 4.8 10.8 .441
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley DNP------ --- ----------
Wilt Chamberlain 15 47.9 21.7 - - 29.1 9.0 - - - 2.5 8.8 15.2 .579 - - - 4.1 10.7 .388

Season 9

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1992-931967-68
Team Phoenix SunsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVPAchievement Season MVP
Achievement All-NBA First TeamAchievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
-Achievement Assists Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Suns Lost NBA Finals76ers Lost East Div Finals
more >>
9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 76 37.6 25.6 3.1 9.1 12.2 5.1 1.6 1.0 3.1 2.6 9.4 18.1 .520 0.9 2.9 .305 5.9 7.7 .765
difference:+6+9.2+1.3+11.6+3.5-0.6+0.6+1.3+.075+1.6+3.7+.385
Wilt Chamberlain 82 46.8 24.3 - - 23.8 8.6 - - - 2.0 10.0 16.8 .595 - - - 4.3 11.4 .380
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 24 42.8 26.6 3.9 9.7 13.6 4.3 1.6 1.0 2.1 3.0 9.6 20.1 .477 0.4 1.9 .222 7.0 9.1 .771
difference:+11+5.7+2.9+11.1+2.2-0.8+0.1+2.3+.057+2.4+3.1+.391
Wilt Chamberlain 13 48.5 23.7 - - 24.7 6.5 - - - 2.2 9.5 17.8 .534 - - - 4.6 12.2 .380

Season 10

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1993-941968-69
Team Phoenix SunsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf SemisLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
10th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 65 35.4 21.6 3.0 8.1 11.2 4.6 1.6 0.6 3.2 2.5 8.0 16.1 .495 0.7 2.7 .270 4.9 7.0 .704
difference:+16+9.9+1.1+9.9+0.1-0.7+0.1+2.5+.088+0.2+3.6+.258
Wilt Chamberlain 81 45.3 20.5 - - 21.1 4.5 - - - 1.8 7.9 13.6 .583 - - - 4.7 10.6 .446
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 10 42.5 27.6 3.4 9.6 13.0 4.8 2.5 0.9 2.7 2.6 11.0 21.6 .509 1.4 4.0 .350 4.2 5.5 .764
difference:+8+3.7+13.7+11.7+2.2-0.5+5.7+11.8+.036+1.0+2.7+.372
Wilt Chamberlain 18 46.2 13.9 - - 24.7 2.6 - - - 3.1 5.3 9.8 .545 - - - 3.2 8.2 .392

Season 11

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1994-951969-70
Team Phoenix SunsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf SemisLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
11th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 68 35.0 23.0 3.0 8.1 11.1 4.1 1.6 0.7 2.2 3.0 8.1 16.8 .486 1.1 3.2 .338 5.6 7.5 .748
difference:+56+7.1+4.3+7.3-0.4+2.7+2.1+.082+0.2+5.6+.302
Wilt Chamberlain 12 42.1 27.3 - - 18.4 4.1 - - - 2.6 10.8 18.9 .568 - - - 5.8 13.1 .446
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 10 39.0 25.7 3.9 9.5 13.4 3.2 1.3 1.1 2.5 2.8 9.1 18.2 .500 0.9 3.5 .257 6.6 9.0 .733
difference:+8+8.3+3.6+8.8+1.3-0.5+0.3+2.2+.049+2.0+2.2+.327
Wilt Chamberlain 18 47.3 22.1 - - 22.2 4.5 - - - 2.3 8.8 16.0 .549 - - - 4.6 11.2 .406

Season 12

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1995-961970-71
Team Phoenix SunsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf 1st RdLakers Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
12th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 71 37.1 23.2 3.4 8.1 11.6 3.7 1.6 0.8 3.1 2.9 8.2 16.3 .500 0.7 2.5 .280 6.2 8.0 .777
difference:+11+7.2+2.5+6.6+0.6-0.8+0.1+1.3+.045+1.8+0.2+.239
Wilt Chamberlain 82 44.3 20.7 - - 18.2 4.3 - - - 2.1 8.1 15.0 .545 - - - 4.4 8.2 .538
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 4 41.0 25.5 4.5 9.0 13.5 3.8 1.0 1.0 1.5 3.8 7.8 17.5 .443 0.8 3.0 .250 9.3 11.8 .787
difference:+8+5.2+7.2+6.7+0.6-1.0+0.7+1.9+.012+5.1+3.7+.272
Wilt Chamberlain 12 46.2 18.3 - - 20.2 4.4 - - - 2.8 7.1 15.6 .455 - - - 4.2 8.1 .515

Season 13

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1996-971971-72
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Finals MVP
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf FinalsNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
13th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 53 37.9 19.2 4.0 9.5 13.5 4.7 1.3 0.5 2.8 2.9 6.3 13.1 .484 1.1 3.9 .283 5.4 7.8 .694
difference:+29+4.4+4.4+5.7+0.7-0.5+0.3+3.8+.165+2.7+1.4+.272
Wilt Chamberlain 82 42.3 14.8 - - 19.2 4.0 - - - 2.4 6.0 9.3 .649 - - - 2.7 6.4 .422
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 16 37.9 17.9 4.0 8.0 12.0 3.4 1.2 0.4 2.7 3.3 5.4 12.4 .434 0.7 2.4 .289 6.4 8.4 .769
difference:+1+9.0+3.2+9.0+0.1-0.2+0.1+2.9+.129+2.4+0.3+.277
Wilt Chamberlain 15 46.9 14.7 - - 21.0 3.3 - - - 3.1 5.3 9.5 .563 - - - 4.0 8.1 .492

Season 14

Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain
Season 1997-981972-73
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
14th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 68 33.0 15.2 3.5 8.1 11.7 3.2 1.0 0.4 2.2 2.8 5.3 10.9 .485 0.3 1.2 .214 4.4 5.8 .746
difference:+14+10.2+2.0+6.9+1.3-0.5+0.1+3.8+.242+1.6+0.3+.236
Wilt Chamberlain 82 43.2 13.2 - - 18.6 4.5 - - - 2.3 5.2 7.1 .727 - - - 2.8 5.5 .510
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Charles Barkley 4 22.0 9.0 1.3 4.0 5.3 1.0 1.3 0.0 1.5 3.0 3.0 5.8 .522 0.0 0.5 .000 3.0 5.3 .571
difference:+13+25.1+1.4+17.2+2.5-0.2+0.8+1.0+.030+0.1+0.5+.071
Wilt Chamberlain 17 47.1 10.4 - - 22.5 3.5 - - - 2.8 3.8 6.8 .552 - - - 2.9 5.8 .500

Additional Years

* Charles Barkley played 2 seasons more than Wilt Chamberlain in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 15 to 16, from 1999 to 2000—Charles Barkley played in one postseason.