John Johnson vs. Arvydas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Arvydas Sabonis and John Johnson, 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.

John Johnson played 12 years in the NBA, 5 more than Arvydas Sabonis, who played 7. John Johnson had the first of his seasons in 1970-71, while Arvydas Sabonis had his rookie season in 1995-96. 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
John Johnson 12 5 1970-71 to 1981-82
Arvydas Sabonis 7 7 1995-96 to 2002-03

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1970-711995-96
Team Cleveland CavaliersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
John Johnson 67 34.5 16.6 - - 6.8 4.8 - - - 3.7 6.5 15.4 .422 - - - 3.6 4.4 .805
Arvydas Sabonis 73 23.8 14.5 2.0 6.0 8.1 1.8 0.9 1.1 2.1 2.9 5.4 9.9 .545 0.5 1.4 .375 3.2 4.2 .757
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 5 35.4 23.6 2.4 7.8 10.2 1.8 0.8 0.6 2.0 3.4 7.0 16.2 .432 1.0 1.8 .556 8.6 12.0 .717

Season 2

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1971-721996-97
Team Cleveland CavaliersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
John Johnson 82 37.1 17.0 - - 7.7 5.1 - - - 3.3 6.8 15.7 .433 - - - 3.4 4.3 .785
Arvydas Sabonis 69 25.5 13.4 1.7 6.3 7.9 2.1 0.9 1.2 2.2 2.9 4.8 9.5 .498 0.7 1.9 .371 3.2 4.2 .777
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 4 26.8 11.3 2.0 4.5 6.5 2.3 0.8 0.8 2.3 4.8 4.5 10.5 .429 0.5 2.0 .250 1.8 2.0 .875

Season 3

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1972-731997-98
Team Cleveland CavaliersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
John Johnson 82 34.3 14.4 - - 6.7 3.8 - - - 3.0 6.0 13.9 .430 - - - 2.4 3.3 .734
Arvydas Sabonis 73 32.0 16.0 2.0 7.9 10.0 3.0 0.9 1.1 2.6 3.7 5.6 11.3 .493 0.4 1.6 .261 4.4 5.5 .798
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 4 26.8 12.3 1.8 6.0 7.8 1.5 1.8 0.8 2.5 4.8 4.5 10.0 .450 0.3 0.5 .500 3.0 3.5 .857

Season 4

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1973-741998-99
Team Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
John Johnson 69 33.1 16.4 2.3 5.1 7.5 4.1 1.0 0.4 - 3.2 6.7 14.3 .464 - - - 3.1 3.8 .812
Arvydas Sabonis 50 27.0 12.1 1.8 6.1 7.9 2.4 0.7 1.3 1.7 2.9 4.6 9.6 .485 0.1 0.5 .292 2.7 3.5 .771
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 13 30.1 10.0 0.9 7.8 8.8 2.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 2.7 3.5 8.7 .398 0.1 0.4 .200 3.0 3.3 .907

Season 5

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1974-751999-00
Team Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
John Johnson 80 31.8 16.1 2.0 4.2 6.3 3.0 0.9 0.5 - 3.1 6.6 13.5 .487 - - - 3.0 3.8 .784
Arvydas Sabonis 66 25.6 11.8 1.5 6.3 7.8 1.8 0.7 1.2 1.5 2.8 4.6 9.1 .505 0.1 0.3 .368 2.5 3.0 .843
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 16 30.8 11.3 1.2 5.5 6.7 1.9 0.9 0.8 1.6 3.7 4.3 9.4 .453 0.4 1.3 .286 2.4 3.1 .796

Season 6

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1975-762000-01
Team Portland Trail Blazers, Houston RocketsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
John Johnson 76 22.3 9.9 1.2 3.1 4.4 2.9 0.8 0.5 - 2.6 4.2 9.2 .453 - - - 1.6 2.0 .774
Arvydas Sabonis 61 21.3 10.1 0.8 4.6 5.4 1.5 0.7 1.0 1.4 2.2 4.0 8.5 .479 0.0 0.2 .067 2.0 2.6 .776
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 3 35.0 11.3 2.7 5.7 8.3 2.7 0.3 2.3 0.7 4.0 4.7 9.7 .483 0.0 0.7 .000 2.0 2.7 .750

Note: Arvydas Sabonis didn't play in 2001-02.

Season 7

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1976-772002-03
Team Houston RocketsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Rockets Lost East Conf FinalsTrail Blazers 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 %
John Johnson 79 22.0 9.3 0.9 2.4 3.4 2.1 0.6 0.3 - 2.5 4.0 8.8 .458 - - - 1.2 1.7 .712
Arvydas Sabonis 78 15.5 6.1 1.1 3.2 4.3 1.8 0.8 0.6 1.0 1.8 2.2 4.6 .476 0.0 0.1 .500 1.7 2.1 .787
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson 12 12.2 4.8 0.6 1.8 2.4 0.8 0.3 0.0 - 1.7 2.0 5.1 .393 - - - 0.8 1.3 .667
Arvydas Sabonis 6 14.5 10.0 1.0 3.0 4.0 0.8 0.7 0.7 1.0 2.3 4.0 6.0 .667 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.5 .800

Season 8

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1977-78-
Team Houston Rockets, Seattle Supersonics-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Supersonics Lost NBA Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson 77 23.7 10.6 1.3 2.7 4.0 2.7 0.6 0.2 2.2 2.6 4.4 10.7 .415 - - - 1.7 2.3 .751
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson 22 27.1 10.1 1.6 2.9 4.5 2.5 0.4 0.3 2.4 2.9 4.3 10.2 .424 - - - 1.5 2.1 .696
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------

Season 9

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1978-79-
Team Seattle Supersonics-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA Champion-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson 82 29.1 11.0 1.5 3.5 5.0 4.4 0.7 0.3 3.1 3.0 4.3 10.0 .434 - - - 2.3 3.0 .760
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson 17 36.2 12.2 2.4 4.4 6.8 5.4 1.0 0.2 3.8 2.9 4.9 10.3 .474 - - - 2.4 3.8 .641
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------

Season 10

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1979-80-
Team Seattle Supersonics-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Supersonics 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 %
John Johnson 81 31.3 11.3 2.0 3.2 5.3 5.2 0.9 0.4 3.0 2.6 4.7 9.5 .488 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.5 .801
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson 15 32.4 12.4 2.9 3.9 6.8 5.7 0.5 0.2 3.7 3.0 5.2 10.5 .494 0.0 0.1 .000 2.0 2.5 .811
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------

Season 11

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1980-81-
Team Seattle Supersonics-
Honors & Awards
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 %
John Johnson 80 29.1 11.5 1.7 2.8 4.5 3.9 0.7 0.3 2.9 2.5 4.7 10.8 .431 0.0 0.0 .000 2.2 2.7 .808
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------

Season 12

John Johnson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1981-82-
Team Seattle Supersonics-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Supersonics 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 %
John Johnson 14 13.4 4.2 0.2 1.1 1.3 2.1 0.3 0.2 1.2 1.4 1.6 3.2 .489 0.0 0.0 - 1.1 1.4 .750
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Johnson 7 22.7 5.4 1.0 1.0 2.0 4.9 0.9 0.0 1.6 2.4 2.1 5.4 .395 0.0 0.0 - 1.1 1.6 .727
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------