Jonathan Bender vs. Arvydas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Arvydas Sabonis and Jonathan Bender, 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.

Jonathan Bender played 8 years in the NBA, 1 more than Arvydas Sabonis, who played 7. Jonathan Bender had the first of his seasons in 1999-00, 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
Jonathan Bender 8 5 1999-00 to 2009-10
Arvydas Sabonis 7 7 1995-96 to 2002-03

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

Rookie Season
Jonathan Bender Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1999-001995-96
Team Indiana PacersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Pacers Lost NBA 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 %
Jonathan Bender 24 5.4 2.7 0.2 0.7 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.8 1.0 2.9 .329 0.1 0.5 .167 0.7 1.0 .667
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 %
Jonathan Bender 9 2.1 1.3 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.7 .667 0.1 0.1 1.000 0.3 0.7 .500
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
Jonathan Bender Arvydas Sabonis
Season 2000-011996-97
Team Indiana PacersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pacers 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 %
Jonathan Bender 59 9.7 3.3 0.2 1.0 1.3 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.7 1.2 1.1 3.2 .355 0.2 0.7 .268 0.8 1.2 .735
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 %
Jonathan Bender 1 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 .000 0.0 0.0 - 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
Jonathan Bender Arvydas Sabonis
Season 2001-021997-98
Team Indiana PacersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pacers 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 %
Jonathan Bender 78 21.1 7.4 0.8 2.3 3.1 0.8 0.2 0.6 1.2 1.9 2.5 5.9 .430 0.6 1.6 .360 1.8 2.3 .773
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 %
Jonathan Bender 5 9.2 1.2 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.2 0.6 1.2 .500 0.0 0.2 .000 0.0 0.0 -
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
Jonathan Bender Arvydas Sabonis
Season 2002-031998-99
Team Indiana PacersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pacers Lost East Conf 1st RdTrail 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 %
Jonathan Bender 46 17.8 6.6 0.9 2.0 2.9 0.9 0.2 1.2 0.9 1.9 2.4 5.5 .441 0.4 1.2 .358 1.3 1.8 .714
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 %
Jonathan Bender 3 11.3 5.7 1.0 1.3 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.7 1.7 5.0 .333 1.0 3.0 .333 1.3 2.0 .667
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
Jonathan Bender Arvydas Sabonis
Season 2003-041999-00
Team Indiana PacersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pacers Lost East Conf FinalsTrail 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 %
Jonathan Bender 21 12.9 7.0 0.4 1.5 1.9 0.4 0.2 0.5 1.6 1.1 2.4 5.0 .472 0.4 1.0 .409 1.9 2.2 .830
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 %
Jonathan Bender 16 12.3 4.8 0.6 1.1 1.8 0.4 0.1 0.9 0.8 1.2 1.8 4.3 .406 0.6 1.6 .360 0.8 1.0 .750
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
Jonathan Bender Arvydas Sabonis
Season 2004-052000-01
Team Indiana PacersPortland 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 %
Jonathan Bender 7 13.3 5.1 0.7 1.3 2.0 0.6 0.1 0.3 1.4 1.3 2.3 5.7 .400 0.1 0.7 .200 0.4 0.9 .500
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 %
Jonathan Bender ------- --- ----------
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
Jonathan Bender Arvydas Sabonis
Season 2005-062002-03
Team Indiana PacersPortland 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 %
Jonathan Bender 2 10.5 5.0 0.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 1.0 2.0 2.5 .800 0.0 0.0 - 1.0 1.0 1.000
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 %
Jonathan Bender ------- --- ----------
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

Note: Jonathan Bender didn't play in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Season 8
Jonathan Bender Arvydas Sabonis
Season 2009-10-
Team New York Knicks-
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 %
Jonathan Bender 25 11.7 4.7 0.6 1.5 2.1 0.6 0.1 0.7 1.1 1.3 1.6 4.0 .400 0.6 1.6 .359 1.0 1.0 .923
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
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