John Lambert vs. Arvydas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Arvydas Sabonis and John Lambert, 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 Lambert and Arvydas Sabonis both played 7 years in the NBA. John Lambert had the first of his seasons in 1975-76, 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 Lambert 7 5 1975-76 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

Rookie Season

John Lambert Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1975-761995-96
Team Cleveland CavaliersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Cavaliers 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 Lambert 54 6.2 2.3 0.7 1.2 1.9 0.3 0.1 0.2 - 1.0 0.9 2.0 .445 - - - 0.5 0.7 .676
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 Lambert 6 5.7 2.0 0.3 1.5 1.8 0.2 0.2 0.3 - 1.2 0.8 2.2 .385 - - - 0.3 0.3 1.000
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 Lambert Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1976-771996-97
Team Cleveland CavaliersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Cavaliers Lost East Conf 1st RdTrail 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 Lambert 63 8.8 2.5 1.0 1.5 2.4 0.5 0.3 0.3 - 1.2 1.1 2.5 .427 - - - 0.4 0.6 .694
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 Lambert 3 6.3 1.3 0.7 0.3 1.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 - 1.3 0.7 1.3 .500 - - - 0.0 0.0 -
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 Lambert Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1977-781997-98
Team Cleveland CavaliersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Cavaliers Lost East Conf 1st RdTrail 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 Lambert 76 14.1 4.1 1.6 2.6 4.3 0.5 0.4 0.7 0.8 2.2 1.9 4.4 .423 - - - 0.4 0.6 .563
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 Lambert 2 9.5 1.5 1.0 3.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.5 1.5 .333 - - - 0.5 1.0 .500
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 Lambert Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1978-791998-99
Team Cleveland CavaliersPortland 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 Lambert 70 14.7 4.7 1.7 2.5 4.1 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.9 2.3 2.1 4.7 .450 - - - 0.5 0.8 .636
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 Lambert ------- --- ----------
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 Lambert Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1979-801999-00
Team Cleveland CavaliersPortland 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 Lambert 74 17.9 5.4 1.9 2.9 4.8 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.9 2.7 2.2 5.4 .413 0.0 0.0 .000 1.0 1.4 .723
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 Lambert ------- --- ----------
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 Lambert Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1980-812000-01
Team Cleveland Cavaliers, Kansas City KingsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Kings Lost West 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 Lambert 46 10.5 3.3 0.6 1.4 2.0 0.6 0.3 0.1 0.4 1.7 1.5 3.6 .412 0.0 0.0 .000 0.4 0.5 .783
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 Lambert 15 11.7 3.3 1.3 1.2 2.5 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.4 1.4 1.5 3.6 .407 0.0 0.2 .000 0.3 0.4 .833
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 Lambert Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1981-822002-03
Team Kansas City Kings, San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Spurs Lost West 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 Lambert 63 12.1 3.3 0.9 2.0 2.8 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.8 2.0 1.4 3.1 .437 0.0 0.1 .143 0.5 0.7 .810
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 Lambert 2 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.0 -
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