Don Carlson vs. George Gervin Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of George Gervin and Don Carlson, 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.

Don Carlson played 4 years in the NBA, 6 less than George Gervin, who played 10. Don Carlson had the first of his seasons in 1946-47, while George Gervin had his rookie season in 1976-77. 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
Don Carlson 4 3 1946-47 to 1950-51
George Gervin 10 9 1976-77 to 1985-86

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season 1946-471976-77
Team Chicago StagsSan Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Stags Lost NBA FinalsSpurs 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 %
Don Carlson 59 - 10.7 - - - 1.0 - - - 3.1 4.6 14.3 .322 - - - 1.5 2.7 .541
George Gervin 82 33.0 23.1 1.6 3.9 5.5 2.9 1.3 1.3 - 3.5 8.9 16.3 .544 - - - 5.4 6.5 .833
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson 11 - 12.3 - - - 0.5 - - - 2.8 4.9 18.2 .270 - - - 2.5 4.0 .614
George Gervin 2 31.0 25.0 2.5 3.0 5.5 1.5 0.5 1.0 - 4.5 9.5 22.0 .432 - - - 6.0 7.5 .800

Note: Don Carlson didn't play in 1947-48.

Season 2

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season 1948-491977-78
Team Minneapolis LakersSan Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Scoring Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionSpurs 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 %
Don Carlson 55 - 9.2 - - - 3.1 - - - 3.3 3.8 11.5 .334 - - - 1.6 2.4 .662
George Gervin 82 34.8 27.2 1.4 3.7 5.1 3.7 1.7 1.3 3.7 3.1 10.5 19.6 .536 - - - 6.1 7.4 .830
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson 10 - 6.0 - - - 2.8 - - - 3.0 2.3 9.5 .242 - - - 1.4 2.5 .560
George Gervin 6 37.8 33.2 1.8 3.8 5.7 3.2 1.0 2.7 3.2 3.8 13.0 23.7 .549 - - - 7.2 9.3 .768

Season 3

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season 1949-501978-79
Team Minneapolis LakersSan Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Scoring Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionSpurs 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 %
Don Carlson 57 - 4.7 - - - 1.3 - - - 2.2 1.7 5.1 .341 - - - 1.2 1.7 .726
George Gervin 80 36.1 29.6 1.8 3.2 5.0 2.7 1.7 1.1 3.6 3.4 11.8 21.9 .541 - - - 5.9 7.1 .826
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson 10 - 5.4 - - - 1.1 - - - 1.9 2.1 3.7 .568 - - - 1.2 1.5 .800
George Gervin 14 36.6 28.6 2.4 3.5 5.9 2.5 1.9 1.1 2.9 3.6 11.3 21.1 .536 - - - 6.0 7.4 .808

Season 4

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season 1950-511979-80
Team Baltimore Bullets (1st)San Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Scoring Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game NVP
Playoffs Did Not PlaySpurs 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 %
Don Carlson 9 - 4.7 - - 1.7 2.1 - - - 2.6 1.9 5.1 .370 - - - 0.9 1.8 .500
George Gervin 78 37.6 33.1 2.0 3.2 5.2 2.6 1.4 1.0 3.3 2.7 13.1 24.9 .528 0.4 1.3 .314 6.5 7.6 .852
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 3 40.7 33.3 3.0 3.7 6.7 4.0 1.7 1.0 3.0 2.7 12.3 24.7 .500 0.0 0.7 .000 8.7 10.0 .867

Season 5

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season -1980-81
Team -San Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Spurs 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 %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 82 33.7 27.1 1.5 3.6 5.1 3.2 1.1 0.7 3.1 2.6 10.4 21.1 .492 0.1 0.4 .257 6.2 7.6 .826
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 7 39.1 27.1 1.3 3.7 5.0 3.4 0.7 0.7 2.9 2.7 11.0 22.0 .500 0.0 0.4 .000 5.1 6.4 .800

Season 6

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season -1981-82
Team -San Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Scoring Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
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 %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 79 35.7 32.3 1.7 3.2 5.0 2.4 1.0 0.6 2.7 2.7 12.6 25.2 .500 0.1 0.5 .278 7.0 8.1 .864
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 9 41.4 29.4 2.1 5.2 7.3 4.6 1.1 0.4 3.4 4.0 11.4 25.3 .452 0.0 0.3 .000 6.6 7.9 .831

Season 7

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season -1982-83
Team -San Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
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 %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 78 36.3 26.2 1.4 3.2 4.6 3.4 1.1 0.9 3.2 3.1 9.7 19.9 .487 0.2 0.4 .364 6.6 7.8 .853
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 11 39.7 25.2 1.9 4.8 6.7 3.4 1.1 0.4 4.2 3.5 9.8 18.9 .519 0.0 0.2 .000 5.5 6.3 .884

Season 8

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season -1983-84
Team -San Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
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 %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 76 34.0 25.9 1.4 2.7 4.1 2.9 1.0 0.6 2.9 2.9 10.1 20.5 .490 0.1 0.3 .417 5.6 6.7 .842
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin ------- --- ----------

Season 9

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season -1984-85
Team -San Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Spurs 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 %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 72 29.0 21.2 1.1 2.2 3.3 2.5 0.9 0.7 2.8 2.9 8.3 16.4 .508 0.0 0.1 .000 4.5 5.3 .844
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 5 36.6 22.2 0.6 3.0 3.6 2.8 0.6 0.6 4.0 3.8 8.4 15.8 .532 0.0 0.6 .000 5.4 6.8 .794

Season 10

Don Carlson George Gervin
Season -1985-86
Team -Chicago Bulls
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Bulls 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 %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 82 25.2 16.2 1.0 1.7 2.6 1.8 0.6 0.3 2.0 2.6 6.3 13.4 .472 0.0 0.2 .211 3.5 3.9 .879
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Carlson ------- --- ----------
George Gervin 2 5.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.5 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -