Gary Leonard vs. Yao Ming Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Yao Ming and Gary Leonard, 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.

Gary Leonard played 3 years in the NBA, 5 less than Yao Ming, who played 8. Gary Leonard had the first of his seasons in 1989-90, 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 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
Gary Leonard 3 1 1989-90 to 1991-92
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
Gary Leonard Yao Ming
Season 1989-902002-03
Team Minnesota TimberwolvesHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
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 %
Gary Leonard 22 5.8 1.5 0.5 0.8 1.2 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.4 1.2 0.6 1.4 .419 0.0 0.0 .000 0.3 0.6 .429
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 .500 3.7 4.5 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Gary Leonard Yao Ming
Season 1990-912003-04
Team Atlanta HawksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Hawks Lost East Conf 1st RdRockets 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 %
Gary Leonard 4 2.3 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 - 0.5 1.0 .500
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 .000 4.4 5.4 .809
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Gary Leonard 2 2.5 2.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.000 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
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
Gary Leonard Yao Ming
Season 1991-922004-05
Team Atlanta HawksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets 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 %
Gary Leonard 5 2.6 2.0 0.6 0.4 1.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.6 0.8 1.2 .667 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 0.4 1.000
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
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
Gary Leonard Yao Ming
Season -2005-06
Team -Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-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 %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
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 .000 5.9 6.9 .853
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Gary Leonard Yao Ming
Season -2006-07
Team -Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Rockets 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 %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
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 .000 7.4 8.6 .862
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
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
Gary Leonard Yao Ming
Season -2007-08
Team -Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-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 %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
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 .000 6.3 7.4 .850
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Gary Leonard Yao Ming
Season -2008-09
Team -Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Rockets 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 %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
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 1.000 4.9 5.7 .866
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
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
Gary Leonard Yao Ming
Season -2010-11
Team -Houston Rockets
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 %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
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
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Gary Leonard ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
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