Dave Cowens vs. Larry Johnson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Larry Johnson and Dave Cowens, 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.

Dave Cowens played 11 years in the NBA, 1 more than Larry Johnson, who played 10. Dave Cowens had the first of his seasons in 1970-71, while Larry Johnson had his rookie season in 1991-92. 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
Dave Cowens 11 7 1970-71 to 1982-83
Larry Johnson 10 6 1991-92 to 2000-01

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11

Rookie Season
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1970-711991-92
Team Boston CelticsCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the YearAchievement Rookie of the Year
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
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 %
Dave Cowens 81 38.0 17.0 - - 15.0 2.8 - - - 4.3 6.8 16.1 .422 - - - 3.4 4.6 .732
Larry Johnson 82 37.2 19.2 3.9 7.0 11.0 3.6 1.0 0.6 2.0 2.7 7.5 15.3 .490 0.1 0.3 .227 4.1 5.0 .829
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Larry Johnson ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1971-721992-93
Team Boston CelticsCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsHornets 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 %
Dave Cowens 79 40.3 18.8 - - 15.2 3.1 - - - 4.0 8.3 17.2 .484 - - - 2.2 3.1 .720
Larry Johnson 82 40.5 22.1 3.4 7.1 10.5 4.3 0.6 0.3 2.8 2.3 8.9 16.9 .526 0.2 0.9 .254 4.1 5.3 .767
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 11 40.1 15.5 - - 13.8 3.0 - - - 4.5 6.5 14.2 .455 - - - 2.5 4.3 .596
Larry Johnson 9 38.7 19.8 2.1 4.8 6.9 3.3 0.6 0.2 2.1 3.0 7.6 13.6 .557 0.1 0.4 .250 4.6 5.8 .788

Season 3
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1972-731993-94
Team Boston CelticsCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 82 41.8 20.5 - - 16.2 4.1 - - - 3.8 9.0 20.0 .452 - - - 2.5 3.2 .779
Larry Johnson 51 34.5 16.4 2.8 6.0 8.8 3.6 0.6 0.3 2.3 2.6 6.8 13.2 .515 0.1 0.4 .238 2.7 3.9 .695
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 13 46.0 21.9 - - 16.6 3.7 - - - 4.2 9.9 21.0 .473 - - - 2.1 3.2 .659
Larry Johnson ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1973-741994-95
Team Boston CelticsCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionHornets 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 %
Dave Cowens 80 41.9 19.0 3.3 12.4 15.7 4.4 1.2 1.3 - 3.7 8.1 18.4 .437 - - - 2.9 3.4 .832
Larry Johnson 81 39.9 18.8 2.3 4.9 7.2 4.6 1.0 0.3 2.6 2.1 7.2 15.0 .480 1.0 2.6 .386 3.4 4.4 .774
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 18 42.9 20.5 3.3 10.0 13.3 3.7 1.2 0.9 - 4.7 8.9 20.6 .435 - - - 2.6 3.3 .797
Larry Johnson 4 43.0 20.8 2.5 3.3 5.8 2.8 1.0 0.5 1.5 1.8 7.8 16.3 .477 0.3 2.3 .111 5.0 6.3 .800

Season 5
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1974-751995-96
Team Boston CelticsCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 65 40.5 20.4 3.5 11.2 14.7 4.6 1.3 1.1 - 3.7 8.8 18.4 .475 - - - 2.9 3.8 .783
Larry Johnson 81 40.4 20.5 3.1 5.4 8.4 4.4 0.7 0.5 2.2 2.1 7.2 15.1 .476 0.8 2.3 .366 5.3 7.0 .757
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 11 43.5 20.5 4.5 12.0 16.5 4.2 1.6 0.5 - 4.5 9.2 21.5 .428 - - - 2.1 2.4 .885
Larry Johnson ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1975-761996-97
Team Boston CelticsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionKnicks 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 %
Dave Cowens 78 39.8 19.0 4.3 11.7 16.0 4.2 1.2 0.9 - 4.0 7.8 16.7 .468 - - - 3.3 4.4 .756
Larry Johnson 76 34.4 12.8 2.2 3.0 5.2 2.3 0.8 0.5 1.8 3.3 4.9 9.7 .512 0.4 1.4 .324 2.5 3.6 .693
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 18 44.3 21.0 4.8 11.6 16.4 4.6 1.2 0.7 - 4.7 8.7 18.9 .457 - - - 3.7 4.8 .759
Larry Johnson 9 32.6 13.8 1.2 2.8 4.0 2.6 0.8 0.1 1.7 3.0 4.8 8.6 .558 0.7 1.9 .353 3.6 4.2 .842

Season 7
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1976-771997-98
Team Boston CelticsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf SemisKnicks 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 %
Dave Cowens 50 37.8 16.4 2.9 11.0 13.9 5.0 0.9 1.0 - 3.6 6.6 15.1 .434 - - - 3.2 4.0 .818
Larry Johnson 70 34.5 15.5 2.5 3.2 5.7 2.1 0.6 0.2 1.8 2.8 6.1 12.6 .485 0.2 0.9 .238 3.1 4.0 .756
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 9 42.1 16.6 3.2 11.7 14.9 4.0 0.9 1.4 - 4.1 7.3 16.4 .446 - - - 1.9 2.4 .773
Larry Johnson 8 38.8 17.9 3.1 3.5 6.6 1.6 1.3 0.4 3.1 3.8 6.5 13.4 .486 0.3 1.3 .200 4.6 6.3 .740

Season 8
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1977-781998-99
Team Boston CelticsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayKnicks Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 77 41.8 18.6 3.2 10.8 14.0 4.6 1.3 0.9 2.8 3.9 7.8 15.8 .490 - - - 3.1 3.7 .842
Larry Johnson 49 33.4 12.0 1.9 3.9 5.8 2.4 0.7 0.2 1.8 3.0 4.3 9.3 .459 0.7 1.9 .359 2.7 3.3 .817
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Larry Johnson 20 34.1 11.5 1.1 3.8 4.9 1.6 1.1 0.1 1.7 3.2 4.4 10.2 .426 1.2 4.1 .293 1.6 2.3 .674

Season 9
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1978-791999-00
Team Boston CelticsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayKnicks Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 68 37.0 16.6 2.2 7.4 9.6 3.6 1.1 0.8 2.6 3.9 7.2 14.9 .483 - - - 2.2 2.8 .807
Larry Johnson 70 32.6 10.7 1.2 4.2 5.4 2.5 0.6 0.1 1.3 2.9 4.0 9.3 .433 0.8 2.5 .333 1.8 2.4 .766
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Larry Johnson 16 36.8 11.3 0.9 4.1 5.0 1.6 0.5 0.1 1.4 2.9 4.4 9.5 .461 0.8 2.1 .394 1.7 2.1 .794

Season 10
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1979-802000-01
Team Boston CelticsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 66 32.7 14.2 1.9 6.2 8.1 3.1 1.0 0.9 1.6 3.3 6.4 14.1 .453 0.0 0.2 .083 1.4 1.8 .779
Larry Johnson 65 32.4 9.9 1.4 4.2 5.6 2.0 0.6 0.4 1.5 3.2 3.8 9.2 .411 0.8 2.5 .313 1.6 2.0 .797
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 9 33.4 12.0 2.0 5.3 7.3 2.3 1.0 0.8 0.9 4.1 5.4 11.4 .476 0.0 0.2 .000 1.1 1.2 .909
Larry Johnson ------- --- ----------

Note: Dave Cowens didn't play in 1980-81 and 1981-82.

Season 11
Dave Cowens Larry Johnson
Season 1982-83-
Team Milwaukee Bucks-
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 %
Dave Cowens 40 25.4 8.1 1.8 5.0 6.9 2.1 0.8 0.4 1.1 3.4 3.4 7.7 .444 0.0 0.1 .000 1.3 1.6 .825
Larry Johnson ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Larry Johnson ------- --- ----------
Share: