Desmond Bane vs. Kenny Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kenny Smith and Desmond Bane, 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.

Desmond Bane played 5 years in the NBA, 5 less than Kenny Smith, who played 10. Desmond Bane had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Kenny Smith had his rookie season in 1987-88. 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
Desmond Bane 5 4 2020-21 to 2024-25
Kenny Smith 10 5 1987-88 to 1996-97

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season

Desmond Bane Kenny Smith
Season 2020-211987-88
Team Memphis GrizzliesSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Grizzlies Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 68 22.3 9.2 0.5 2.6 3.1 1.7 0.6 0.2 0.9 1.8 3.4 7.3 .469 1.7 4.0 .432 0.6 0.7 .816
difference:+7+13.3+4.6+0.2+1.0+0.8+5.4+0.9+0.1-2.1-0.5+2.0+4.1+.008+1.5+3.4+.124+2.1+2.6+.003
Kenny Smith 61 35.6 13.8 0.7 1.6 2.3 7.1 1.5 0.1 3.0 2.3 5.4 11.4 .477 0.2 0.6 .308 2.7 3.3 .819
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 5 19.8 5.6 0.4 3.0 3.4 2.0 0.8 0.4 0.6 1.2 2.2 3.8 .579 1.2 2.4 .500 0.0 0.0 -
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------

Season 2

Desmond Bane Kenny Smith
Season 2021-221988-89
Team Memphis GrizzliesSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Grizzlies Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 76 29.8 18.2 0.6 3.8 4.4 2.7 1.2 0.4 1.5 2.6 6.7 14.5 .461 3.0 6.9 .436 1.8 2.0 .903
difference:+5+9.0+0.9+1.6+1.6+5.0+0.1+0.3-1.6-0.5+0.1+0.1+.001+2.4+5.3+.077+1.4+2.4+.166
Kenny Smith 81 38.8 17.3 0.6 2.2 2.8 7.7 1.3 0.1 3.1 2.1 6.8 14.6 .462 0.6 1.6 .359 3.2 4.4 .737
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 12 35.7 18.8 0.4 3.3 3.8 2.2 0.9 0.8 1.3 1.9 6.3 13.3 .478 3.6 7.3 .489 2.5 2.9 .857
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------

Season 3

Desmond Bane Kenny Smith
Season 2022-231989-90
Team Memphis GrizzliesSacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Grizzlies Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 58 31.8 21.5 0.7 4.3 5.0 4.4 1.0 0.4 2.2 2.6 7.8 16.2 .479 2.9 7.0 .408 3.1 3.5 .883
difference:+21+1.2+9.6+0.5+2.5+3.0+1.2+0.3-0.1-0.8+3.0+5.9+.013+2.6+5.9+.095+1.1+1.0+.062
Kenny Smith 79 30.6 11.9 0.2 1.8 2.0 5.6 1.0 0.1 2.1 1.8 4.8 10.3 .466 0.3 1.1 .313 2.0 2.5 .821
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 6 38.5 23.5 1.2 4.8 6.0 3.2 0.5 0.0 2.8 3.2 8.2 19.3 .422 2.7 8.3 .320 4.5 4.8 .931
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------

Season 4

Desmond Bane Kenny Smith
Season 2023-241990-91
Team Memphis GrizzliesHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 42 34.4 23.7 0.9 3.5 4.4 5.5 1.0 0.5 2.7 2.9 8.6 18.5 .464 3.3 8.6 .381 3.3 3.8 .870
difference:+36+0.2+6.0+0.4+1.9+2.3+1.6+0.4+0.4-0.3-1.2+1.9+5.6+.056+2.7+6.9+.018+0.4+0.6+.026
Kenny Smith 78 34.6 17.7 0.5 1.6 2.1 7.1 1.4 0.1 3.0 1.7 6.7 12.9 .520 0.6 1.7 .363 3.7 4.4 .844
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane DNP------ --- ----------
Kenny Smith 3 37.7 15.3 1.3 1.3 2.7 8.0 1.3 0.3 2.0 1.7 6.0 12.7 .474 0.7 1.3 .500 2.7 3.0 .889

Season 5

Desmond Bane Kenny Smith
Season 2024-251991-92
Team Memphis GrizzliesHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Grizzlies Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 69 32.0 19.2 0.9 5.2 6.1 5.3 1.2 0.4 2.4 2.4 7.1 14.8 .484 2.4 6.1 .392 2.6 2.9 .894
difference:+12+1.8+5.2+0.5+3.4+3.9+1.6+0.1+0.3-0.4-1.0+1.8+3.6+.009+1.7+4.4+.002+0.1+0.2+.028
Kenny Smith 81 33.8 14.0 0.4 1.8 2.2 6.9 1.3 0.1 2.8 1.4 5.3 11.2 .475 0.7 1.7 .394 2.7 3.1 .866
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Desmond Bane 4 34.8 15.3 1.3 5.5 6.8 3.3 0.8 0.5 3.8 2.3 5.0 15.8 .317 1.8 8.0 .219 3.5 3.8 .933
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------

Additional Years

* Kenny Smith played 5 seasons more than Desmond Bane in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 10, from 1993 to 1997—Kenny Smith played in 4 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.