Jim McMillian vs. Nate Thurmond Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Nate Thurmond and Jim McMillian, 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.

Jim McMillian played 9 years in the NBA, 5 less than Nate Thurmond, who played 14. Jim McMillian had the first of his seasons in 1970-71, while Nate Thurmond had his rookie season in 1963-64. 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
Jim McMillian 9 7 1970-71 to 1978-79
Nate Thurmond 14 9 1963-64 to 1976-77

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14

Rookie Season

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1970-711963-64
Team Los Angeles LakersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf FinalsWarriors Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 81 21.6 8.4 - - 4.1 1.6 - - - 1.5 3.6 7.8 .459 - - - 1.2 1.6 .769
Nate Thurmond 76 25.9 7.0 - - 10.4 1.1 - - - 2.4 2.9 7.3 .395 - - - 1.3 2.3 .549
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 12 43.5 15.1 - - 5.4 1.8 - - - 2.3 6.6 15.1 .436 - - - 1.9 2.8 .676
Nate Thurmond 12 34.2 10.0 - - 12.3 0.8 - - - 3.8 3.5 8.0 .438 - - - 3.0 4.4 .679

Season 2

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1971-721964-65
Team Los Angeles LakersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 80 38.1 18.8 - - 6.5 2.6 - - - 2.6 8.0 16.6 .482 - - - 2.7 3.5 .791
Nate Thurmond 77 41.2 16.5 - - 18.1 2.0 - - - 3.0 6.7 16.1 .419 - - - 3.1 4.6 .658
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 15 41.6 19.1 - - 5.7 1.5 - - - 2.9 7.5 16.9 .447 - - - 4.0 4.7 .857
Nate Thurmond ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1972-731965-66
Team Los Angeles LakersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Lakers Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 81 36.5 18.9 - - 5.5 2.7 - - - 2.2 8.1 17.7 .458 - - - 2.8 3.3 .845
Nate Thurmond 73 39.6 16.3 - - 18.0 1.5 - - - 3.1 6.2 15.3 .406 - - - 3.8 5.9 .654
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 17 37.1 20.1 - - 4.8 2.2 - - - 2.4 8.4 18.1 .466 - - - 3.2 4.4 .733
Nate Thurmond ------- --- ----------

Season 4

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1973-741966-67
Team Buffalo BravesSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Braves Lost East Conf SemisWarriors Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 82 40.5 18.6 2.6 4.8 7.4 3.1 1.6 0.3 - 2.3 7.3 14.8 .494 - - - 4.0 4.6 .858
Nate Thurmond 65 42.5 18.7 - - 21.3 2.6 - - - 2.8 7.2 16.4 .437 - - - 4.3 6.8 .629
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 6 37.3 14.5 4.0 4.8 8.8 2.0 0.7 0.2 - 2.3 6.3 15.3 .413 - - - 1.8 2.7 .688
Nate Thurmond 15 46.0 15.9 - - 23.1 3.1 - - - 3.5 6.2 14.3 .433 - - - 3.5 6.1 .571

Season 5

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1974-751967-68
Team Buffalo BravesSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Braves Lost East Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 62 34.4 14.3 2.0 4.2 6.2 2.5 1.1 0.2 - 2.1 5.6 11.2 .499 - - - 3.1 3.7 .840
Nate Thurmond 51 43.6 20.5 - - 22.0 4.2 - - - 2.7 7.5 18.2 .411 - - - 5.5 8.6 .644
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 7 34.3 13.0 1.4 3.4 4.9 2.0 1.6 0.3 - 1.7 5.6 12.3 .453 - - - 1.9 2.0 .929
Nate Thurmond ------- --- ----------

Season 6

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1975-761968-69
Team Buffalo BravesSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Playoffs Braves Lost East Conf SemisWarriors Lost West Div Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 74 35.3 15.8 1.8 3.5 5.3 2.8 1.2 0.2 - 1.9 6.6 12.4 .536 - - - 2.5 3.0 .858
Nate Thurmond 71 45.2 21.5 - - 19.7 3.6 - - - 2.4 8.0 19.6 .410 - - - 5.4 8.7 .615
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 9 38.7 17.2 1.2 2.9 4.1 2.1 1.6 0.4 - 3.2 6.8 14.3 .473 - - - 3.7 4.2 .868
Nate Thurmond 6 43.8 16.7 - - 19.5 4.7 - - - 3.0 6.7 17.0 .392 - - - 3.3 5.7 .588

Season 7

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1976-771969-70
Team New York KnicksSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -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 %
Jim McMillian 67 32.2 9.9 1.0 3.6 4.6 2.1 0.9 0.1 - 1.5 4.4 9.6 .464 - - - 1.0 1.3 .779
Nate Thurmond 43 44.6 21.9 - - 17.7 3.5 - - - 2.6 7.9 19.2 .414 - - - 6.1 8.0 .754
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond ------- --- ----------

Season 8

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1977-781970-71
Team New York KnicksSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Conf SemisWarriors 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 %
Jim McMillian 81 24.4 8.5 1.0 2.6 3.6 2.5 0.9 0.2 1.3 1.4 3.6 7.7 .462 - - - 1.4 1.7 .858
Nate Thurmond 82 40.9 20.0 - - 13.8 3.1 - - - 2.3 7.6 17.1 .445 - - - 4.8 6.6 .730
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian 6 22.3 8.8 1.5 2.0 3.5 1.8 1.2 0.0 1.2 0.5 4.0 8.8 .453 - - - 0.8 1.0 .833
Nate Thurmond 5 38.4 17.6 - - 10.2 3.0 - - - 4.0 7.2 19.4 .371 - - - 3.2 4.0 .800

Season 9

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season 1978-791971-72
Team Portland Trail BlazersGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayWarriors 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 %
Jim McMillian 23 12.1 3.6 0.7 1.0 1.7 1.4 0.4 0.1 0.7 0.8 1.4 3.2 .446 - - - 0.7 0.9 .810
Nate Thurmond 78 43.1 21.4 - - 16.1 2.9 - - - 2.7 8.1 18.6 .432 - - - 5.3 7.2 .743
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 5 46.0 25.4 - - 17.8 5.2 - - - 2.4 10.6 24.4 .434 - - - 4.2 5.6 .750

Season 10

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season -1972-73
Team -Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Warriors 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 %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 79 43.3 17.1 - - 17.1 3.5 - - - 3.0 6.5 14.7 .446 - - - 4.0 5.6 .718
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 11 41.8 14.5 - - 13.2 3.6 - - - 2.7 5.8 14.6 .398 - - - 2.9 3.6 .800

Season 11

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season -1973-74
Team -Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second 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 %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 62 39.7 13.0 4.0 10.1 14.2 2.7 0.7 2.9 - 2.9 5.0 11.2 .444 - - - 3.1 4.6 .666
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond ------- --- ----------

Season 12

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season -1974-75
Team -Chicago Bulls
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Bulls 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 %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 80 34.5 7.9 3.2 8.1 11.3 4.1 0.6 2.4 - 3.4 3.1 8.6 .364 - - - 1.7 2.8 .589
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 13 19.5 3.5 1.8 4.8 6.7 2.4 0.4 1.6 - 2.8 1.1 2.9 .368 - - - 1.4 2.8 .486

Season 13

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season -1975-76
Team -Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Cavaliers 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 %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 78 17.9 4.4 1.5 3.8 5.3 1.2 0.3 1.3 - 2.1 1.8 4.3 .421 - - - 0.8 1.6 .504
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 13 28.8 6.7 2.9 6.1 9.0 2.2 0.5 2.2 - 4.0 2.8 6.1 .468 - - - 1.0 2.5 .406

Season 14

Jim McMillian Nate Thurmond
Season -1976-77
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Cavaliers 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 %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 49 20.3 5.5 2.5 5.2 7.6 1.7 0.3 1.7 - 2.6 2.0 5.0 .407 - - - 1.4 2.2 .642
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 1 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 - 0.0 0.0 0.0 - - - - 0.0 0.0 -