David Lee vs. Jayson Tatum Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jayson Tatum and David Lee, 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.

David Lee played 12 years in the NBA, 5 more than Jayson Tatum, who played 7. David Lee had the first of his seasons in 2005-06, while Jayson Tatum had his rookie season in 2017-18. 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
David Lee 12 5 2005-06 to 2016-17
Jayson Tatum 7 7 2017-18 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12

Rookie Season

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2005-062017-18
Team New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics 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 %
David Lee 67 16.9 5.1 1.6 2.9 4.5 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.8 1.9 2.0 3.4 .596 0.0 0.0 - 1.1 1.8 .577
Jayson Tatum 80 30.5 13.9 0.6 4.4 5.0 1.6 1.0 0.7 1.4 2.1 5.0 10.4 .475 1.3 3.0 .434 2.7 3.2 .826
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 19 35.9 18.5 0.5 3.8 4.4 2.7 1.2 0.5 2.2 2.6 6.5 13.7 .471 1.2 3.7 .324 4.3 5.1 .845

Season 2

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2006-072018-19
Team New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics 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 %
David Lee 58 29.8 10.7 3.4 7.0 10.4 1.8 0.8 0.4 1.6 2.7 4.1 6.9 .600 0.0 0.0 - 2.4 3.0 .815
Jayson Tatum 79 31.1 15.7 0.9 5.2 6.0 2.1 1.1 0.7 1.5 2.1 5.9 13.1 .450 1.5 3.9 .373 2.5 2.9 .855
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 9 32.8 15.2 0.8 5.9 6.7 1.9 1.1 0.8 2.0 2.3 5.4 12.4 .438 1.1 3.4 .323 3.2 4.3 .744

Season 3

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2007-082019-20
Team New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics 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 %
David Lee 81 29.1 10.8 3.0 6.0 8.9 1.2 0.7 0.4 1.2 2.6 4.2 7.6 .552 0.0 0.0 .000 2.4 2.9 .819
Jayson Tatum 66 34.3 23.4 1.0 6.0 7.0 3.0 1.4 0.9 2.3 2.1 8.4 18.6 .450 2.9 7.1 .403 3.8 4.7 .812
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 17 40.6 25.7 1.3 8.7 10.0 5.0 1.0 1.2 2.8 2.4 8.5 19.6 .434 2.8 7.4 .373 5.9 7.2 .813

Season 4

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2008-092020-21
Team New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics 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 %
David Lee 81 34.9 16.0 3.2 8.6 11.7 2.1 1.0 0.3 1.9 3.2 6.4 11.7 .549 0.0 0.0 .000 3.1 4.1 .755
Jayson Tatum 64 35.8 26.4 0.8 6.6 7.4 4.3 1.2 0.5 2.7 1.9 9.5 20.6 .459 2.9 7.6 .386 4.6 5.3 .868
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 5 37.0 30.6 0.6 5.2 5.8 4.6 1.2 1.6 2.6 3.0 9.4 22.2 .423 2.8 7.2 .389 9.0 9.8 .918

Season 5

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2009-102021-22
Team New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 81 37.3 20.2 2.8 8.9 11.7 3.6 1.0 0.5 2.3 3.2 8.5 15.5 .545 0.0 0.1 .000 3.3 4.1 .812
Jayson Tatum 76 35.9 26.9 1.1 6.9 8.0 4.4 1.0 0.6 2.9 2.3 9.3 20.6 .453 3.0 8.6 .353 5.3 6.2 .853
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 24 41.0 25.6 1.0 5.7 6.7 6.2 1.2 0.9 4.2 3.0 8.4 19.7 .426 3.2 8.2 .393 5.7 7.1 .800

Season 6

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2010-112022-23
Team Golden State WarriorsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game NVP
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics 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 %
David Lee 73 36.1 16.5 3.0 6.8 9.8 3.2 1.0 0.4 2.3 2.9 6.8 13.4 .507 0.0 0.0 .333 2.9 3.7 .787
Jayson Tatum 74 36.9 30.1 1.1 7.7 8.8 4.6 1.1 0.7 2.9 2.2 9.8 21.1 .466 3.2 9.3 .350 7.2 8.4 .854
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 20 40.0 27.2 1.3 9.2 10.5 5.3 1.1 1.1 2.8 2.2 9.3 20.2 .458 2.7 8.2 .323 6.0 6.9 .876

Season 7

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2011-122023-24
Team Golden State WarriorsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics TBD
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 57 37.2 20.1 3.0 6.6 9.6 2.8 0.9 0.4 2.6 3.1 8.1 16.2 .503 0.0 0.1 .000 3.8 4.9 .782
Jayson Tatum 74 35.7 26.9 0.9 7.2 8.1 4.9 1.0 0.6 2.5 2.0 9.1 19.3 .471 3.1 8.2 .376 5.6 6.7 .833
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 10 39.2 24.3 0.6 9.8 10.4 5.8 1.0 0.8 2.1 2.8 7.7 17.9 .430 1.8 6.4 .281 7.1 8.2 .866

Season 8

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2012-13-
Team Golden State Warriors-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Warriors Lost West Conf Semis-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 79 36.8 18.5 2.8 8.5 11.2 3.5 0.8 0.3 2.6 3.1 7.6 14.7 .519 0.0 0.1 .000 3.2 4.1 .797
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 6 10.8 5.0 1.0 3.7 4.7 0.8 0.5 0.2 0.8 0.8 2.2 5.5 .394 0.0 0.0 - 0.7 1.0 .667
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 9

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2013-14-
Team Golden State Warriors-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Warriors 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 %
David Lee 69 33.2 18.2 2.6 6.7 9.3 2.1 0.7 0.4 2.2 3.0 7.4 14.2 .523 0.0 0.0 .000 3.3 4.3 .780
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 7 31.0 13.9 3.4 5.7 9.1 2.6 0.6 0.0 2.4 4.0 5.9 11.0 .532 0.0 0.0 - 2.1 2.7 .789
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 10

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2014-15-
Team Golden State Warriors-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA Champion-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 49 18.4 7.9 1.7 3.6 5.2 1.7 0.6 0.5 1.0 1.7 3.3 6.4 .511 0.0 0.0 .000 1.4 2.1 .654
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 13 8.2 3.1 0.8 1.8 2.6 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.3 1.2 3.1 .400 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 1.2 .533
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 11

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2015-16-
Team Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Mavericks 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 %
David Lee 55 16.4 7.8 1.8 3.7 5.5 1.5 0.4 0.5 1.2 2.1 3.2 6.1 .531 0.0 0.0 .000 1.3 1.7 .763
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 2 16.5 6.0 0.5 2.5 3.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.5 3.0 4.0 .750 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 12

David Lee Jayson Tatum
Season 2016-17-
Team San Antonio Spurs-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Spurs Lost West Conf Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 79 18.7 7.3 1.9 3.7 5.6 1.6 0.4 0.5 1.0 1.6 3.1 5.3 .590 0.0 0.0 - 1.0 1.4 .708
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
David Lee 15 16.3 4.1 1.3 2.5 3.8 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.4 1.3 1.7 3.2 .521 0.0 0.1 .000 0.7 1.1 .647
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------