Elton Brand vs. Yao Ming Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Yao Ming and Elton Brand, 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 / Games against each other

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.

Elton Brand played 17 years in the NBA, 9 more than Yao Ming, who played 8. Elton Brand had the first of his seasons in 1999-00, while Yao Ming had his rookie season in 2002-03. 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
Elton Brand 17 5 1999-00 to 2015-16
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

Rookie Season

Elton Brand Yao Ming
Season 1999-002002-03
Team Chicago BullsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did not playDid 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%
Elton Brand 81 37.0 20.1 4.3 5.7 10.0 1.9 0.8 1.6 2.8 3.2 7.8 16.1 .482 0.0 0.0 - 4.5 6.6 .685
difference:+1+8.0+6.6+1.9+0.1+1.8+0.2+0.4+0.2-0.7-0.4+2.9+6.3+.016+0.8+2.1+.126
Yao Ming 82 29.0 13.5 2.4 5.8 8.2 1.7 0.4 1.8 2.1 2.8 4.9 9.8 .498 0.0 0.0 - 3.7 4.5 .811
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Elton Brand nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Elton Brand Yao Ming
Season 2000-012003-04
Team Chicago BullsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did not playRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand 74 39.3 20.1 3.9 6.2 10.1 3.2 1.0 1.6 3.0 3.3 7.8 16.4 .476 0.0 0.0 - 4.5 6.4 .708
difference:+8+6.5+2.6+1.5+0.4+1.1+1.7+0.7+0.3-0.5+1.3+3.9+.046+0.1+1.0+.101
Yao Ming 82 32.8 17.5 2.4 6.6 9.0 1.5 0.3 1.9 2.5 3.3 6.5 12.5 .522 0.0 0.0 - 4.4 5.4 .809
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand DNP------ --- ----------
Yao Ming 5 37.6 15.0 2.2 5.2 7.4 1.8 0.4 1.4 2.6 4.0 6.2 13.6 .456 0.0 0.0 - 2.6 3.4 .765

Season 3

Elton Brand Yao Ming
Season 2001-022004-05
Team Los Angeles ClippersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did not playRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand 80 37.8 18.2 5.0 6.6 11.6 2.4 1.0 2.0 2.2 3.2 6.7 12.6 .527 0.0 0.0 - 4.9 6.6 .742
difference:+7.2+0.1+2.4+0.8+3.2+1.6+0.6-0.3-0.5+0.4+.025+0.4+.041
Yao Ming 80 30.6 18.3 2.6 5.8 8.4 0.8 0.4 2.0 2.5 3.7 6.7 12.2 .552 0.0 0.0 - 4.9 6.2 .783
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand DNP------ --- ----------
Yao Ming 7 31.9 21.4 3.3 4.4 7.7 0.7 0.3 2.7 2.7 4.4 7.9 12.0 .655 0.0 0.0 - 5.7 7.9 .727

Season 4

Elton Brand Yao Ming
Season 2002-032005-06
Team Los Angeles ClippersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement Blocks Leader-
-Achievement 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%
Elton Brand 62 39.6 18.5 4.6 6.8 11.3 2.5 1.1 2.5 2.6 3.3 7.3 14.5 .502 0.0 0.0 - 3.9 5.7 .685
difference:+5+5.4+3.8+2.0+0.8+1.1+1.0+0.6+0.9-0.1+0.9+1.3+.017+2.0+1.2+.168
Yao Ming 57 34.2 22.3 2.6 7.6 10.2 1.5 0.5 1.6 2.6 3.4 8.2 15.8 .519 0.0 0.0 - 5.9 6.9 .853
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Elton Brand nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5

Elton Brand Yao Ming
Season 2003-042006-07
Team Los Angeles ClippersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did not playRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand 69 38.7 20.0 3.9 6.4 10.3 3.3 0.9 2.2 2.8 3.3 7.0 14.2 .493 0.0 0.0 - 6.0 7.7 .773
difference:+21+4.9+5.0+1.8+0.9+0.9+1.3+0.5+0.2-0.7+1.8+2.9+.023+1.4+0.9+.089
Yao Ming 48 33.8 25.0 2.1 7.3 9.4 2.0 0.4 2.0 3.5 3.3 8.8 17.1 .516 0.0 0.0 - 7.4 8.6 .862
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand DNP------ --- ----------
Yao Ming 7 37.1 25.1 3.3 7.0 10.3 0.9 0.1 0.7 4.7 3.9 7.9 17.9 .440 0.0 0.0 - 9.4 10.7 .880

Season 6

Elton Brand Yao Ming
Season 2004-052007-08
Team Los Angeles ClippersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did not playDid not play
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand 81 37.0 20.0 3.7 5.9 9.5 2.6 0.8 2.1 2.3 3.0 7.8 15.4 .503 0.0 0.0 - 4.5 6.0 .752
difference:+26+0.2+2.0+0.6+1.8+1.3+0.3+0.3+0.1-1.0-0.1+0.1+0.1+.004+1.8+1.4+.098
Yao Ming 55 37.2 22.0 3.1 7.7 10.8 2.3 0.5 2.0 3.3 3.1 7.9 15.5 .507 0.0 0.0 - 6.3 7.4 .850
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Elton Brand nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 6

Season 7

Elton Brand Yao Ming
Season 2005-062008-09
Team Los Angeles ClippersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second TeamAchievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Clippers Lost West Conf SemisRockets Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand 79 39.2 24.7 3.0 7.0 10.0 2.6 1.0 2.5 2.2 2.9 9.6 18.2 .527 0.0 0.0 - 5.6 7.2 .775
difference:+2+5.6+5.0+0.4+0.2+0.1+0.8+0.6+0.6-0.8-0.4+2.2+4.8+.021+0.7+1.5+.091
Yao Ming 77 33.6 19.7 2.6 7.2 9.9 1.8 0.4 1.9 3.0 3.3 7.4 13.4 .548 0.0 0.0 - 4.9 5.7 .866
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand 12 43.1 25.4 4.3 6.0 10.3 4.0 0.9 2.6 2.4 2.8 10.3 18.8 .551 0.0 0.1 .000 4.8 6.3 .750
difference:+3+7.2+8.3+2.2+2.8+0.6+3.0+0.5+1.4-0.5-0.2+4.3+7.8+.006+0.1+0.3+0.6+.152
Yao Ming 9 35.9 17.1 2.1 8.8 10.9 1.0 0.4 1.2 1.9 3.0 6.0 11.0 .545 0.0 0.0 - 5.1 5.7 .902

Note: Yao Ming didn't play in 2009-10.

Season 8

Elton Brand Yao Ming
Season 2006-072010-11
Team Los Angeles ClippersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did not playDid not play
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Elton Brand 80 38.5 20.5 3.4 6.0 9.3 2.9 1.0 2.2 2.5 3.0 8.1 15.1 .533 0.0 0.0 - 4.4 5.8 .761
difference:+75+20.3+10.3+2.0+2.0+3.9+2.1+1.0+0.6-1.1-0.4+4.5+7.7+.047+1.4+2.6+.177
Yao Ming 5 18.2 10.2 1.4 4.0 5.4 0.8 0.0 1.6 1.4 2.6 3.6 7.4 .486 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 3.2 .938
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Elton Brand nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 8

Additional Years

* Elton Brand played 9 seasons more than Yao Ming in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 9 to 17, from 2008 to 2016—Elton Brand played in 4 Playoffs.