Julius Erving vs. Lauri Markkanen Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Lauri Markkanen and Julius Erving, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

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.

Julius Erving played 11 years in the NBA, 3 more than Lauri Markkanen, who played 8. Julius Erving had the first of his seasons in 1976-77, while Lauri Markkanen had his rookie season in 2017-18. 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 achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Rookie Season
	Julius Erving	Lauri Markkanen
Season	1976-77	2017-18
Team	Philadelphia 76ers	Chicago Bulls
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	-	All-Rookie First Team
	All-Star Game	-
	All-Star Game MVP	-
Playoffs	76ers Lost NBA Finals	Did Not Play

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Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	82	35.9	21.6	2.3	6.1	8.5	3.7	1.9	1.4	-	3.1	8.4	16.7	.499	-	-	-	4.9	6.3	.777
difference:	+14	+6.2	+6.4	+1.1	+0.2	+1.0	+2.5	+1.3	+0.8		-1.6	+2.9	+4.0	+.065				+2.8	+3.9	+.066
Lauri Markkanen	68	29.7	15.2	1.2	6.3	7.5	1.2	0.6	0.6	1.2	1.5	5.5	12.7	.434	2.1	5.9	.362	2.1	2.4	.843
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	19	39.9	27.3	2.2	4.3	6.4	4.5	2.2	1.2	-	2.4	10.7	20.5	.523	-	-	-	5.8	7.1	.821
Lauri Markkanen	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 2
	Julius Erving	Lauri Markkanen
Season	1977-78	2018-19
Team	Philadelphia 76ers	Chicago Bulls
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	76ers Lost East Conf Finals	Did Not Play

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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	74	32.8	20.6	2.4	4.1	6.5	3.8	1.8	1.3	3.2	2.8	8.3	16.4	.502	-	-	-	4.1	4.9	.845
difference:	+22	+0.5	+1.9	+1.0	+3.5	+2.5	+2.4	+1.1	+0.7	-1.6	-0.5	+1.7	+1.1	+.072				+0.8	+1.1	+.027
Lauri Markkanen	52	32.3	18.7	1.4	7.6	9.0	1.4	0.7	0.6	1.6	2.3	6.6	15.3	.430	2.3	6.4	.361	3.3	3.8	.872
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	10	35.8	21.8	4.0	5.7	9.7	4.0	1.5	1.8	3.5	3.0	8.8	18.0	.489	-	-	-	4.2	5.6	.750
Lauri Markkanen	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 3
	Julius Erving	Lauri Markkanen
Season	1978-79	2019-20
Team	Philadelphia 76ers	Chicago Bulls
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	76ers Lost East Conf Semis	Did Not Play

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	78	35.9	23.1	2.5	4.7	7.2	4.6	1.7	1.3	4.0	2.7	9.2	18.7	.491	-	-	-	4.8	6.4	.745
difference:	+28	+6.1	+8.4	+1.3	+0.4	+0.9	+3.1	+0.9	+0.8	-2.4	-0.8	+4.2	+6.9	+.066				+2.3	+3.3	+.079
Lauri Markkanen	50	29.8	14.7	1.2	5.1	6.3	1.5	0.8	0.5	1.6	1.9	5.0	11.8	.425	2.2	6.3	.344	2.5	3.1	.824
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	9	41.3	25.4	3.2	4.6	7.8	5.9	2.0	1.9	4.2	2.4	9.9	19.1	.517	-	-	-	5.7	7.4	.761
Lauri Markkanen	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 4
	Julius Erving	Lauri Markkanen
Season	1979-80	2020-21
Team	Philadelphia 76ers	Chicago Bulls
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	76ers Lost NBA Finals	Did Not Play

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	78	36.1	26.9	2.8	4.6	7.4	4.6	2.2	1.8	3.6	2.7	10.7	20.7	.519	0.1	0.3	.200	5.4	6.8	.787
difference:	+27	+10.3	+13.3	+2.1		+2.1	+3.7	+1.7	+1.5	-2.6	-1.2	+5.8	+10.5	+.039	+2.2	+5.5	+.202	+3.9	+5.0	+.039
Lauri Markkanen	51	25.8	13.6	0.7	4.6	5.3	0.9	0.5	0.3	1.0	1.5	4.9	10.2	.480	2.3	5.8	.402	1.5	1.8	.826
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	18	38.6	24.4	1.7	5.8	7.6	4.4	2.0	2.1	3.1	3.1	9.2	18.8	.488	0.1	0.5	.222	6.0	7.6	.794
Lauri Markkanen	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 5
	Julius Erving	Lauri Markkanen
Season	1980-81	2021-22
Team	Philadelphia 76ers	Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards	Season MVP	-
	All-NBA First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	76ers Lost East Conf Finals	Did Not Play

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	82	35.0	24.6	3.0	5.0	8.0	4.4	2.1	1.8	3.2	2.8	9.7	18.6	.521	0.0	0.2	.222	5.1	6.5	.787
difference:	+21	+4.2	+9.8	+2.0	+0.3	+2.3	+3.1	+1.4	+1.3	-2.3	-0.7	+4.6	+7.1	+.076	+2.2	+6.0	+.136	+2.8	+3.9	+.081
Lauri Markkanen	61	30.8	14.8	1.0	4.7	5.7	1.3	0.7	0.5	0.9	2.1	5.1	11.5	.445	2.2	6.2	.358	2.3	2.6	.868
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	16	37.0	22.9	3.3	3.9	7.1	3.4	1.4	2.6	3.4	3.4	8.9	18.8	.475	0.0	0.1	.000	5.1	6.7	.757
Lauri Markkanen	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 6
	Julius Erving	Lauri Markkanen
Season	1981-82	2022-23
Team	Philadelphia 76ers	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	-	Most Improved Player
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	76ers Lost NBA Finals	Did Not Play

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	81	34.4	24.4	2.7	4.2	6.9	3.9	2.0	1.7	2.6	2.8	9.6	17.6	.546	0.0	0.1	.273	5.1	6.7	.763
difference:	+15		+1.2	+0.7	+2.5	+1.7	+2.0	+1.4	+1.1	-0.7	-0.7	+0.9	+0.3	+.047	+3.0	+7.6	+.118	+0.2	+0.7	+.112
Lauri Markkanen	66	34.4	25.6	2.0	6.7	8.6	1.9	0.6	0.6	1.9	2.1	8.7	17.3	.499	3.0	7.7	.391	5.3	6.0	.875
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	21	37.1	22.0	2.7	4.7	7.4	4.7	1.8	1.8	3.2	2.6	8.0	15.4	.519	0.0	0.3	.167	5.9	7.9	.752
Lauri Markkanen	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 7
	Julius Erving	Lauri Markkanen
Season	1982-83	2023-24
Team	Philadelphia 76ers	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
	All-Star Game MVP	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Did Not Play

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7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	72	33.6	21.4	2.4	4.4	6.8	3.7	1.6	1.8	2.7	2.8	8.4	16.3	.517	0.0	0.1	.286	4.6	6.0	.759
difference:	+17	+0.5	+1.8	+0.2	+1.5	+1.4	+1.7	+0.7	+1.3	-1.3	-1.0	+0.6	+0.1	+.037	+3.2	+7.9	+.113	+0.1	+1.0	+.140
Lauri Markkanen	55	33.1	23.2	2.2	5.9	8.2	2.0	0.9	0.5	1.4	1.8	7.8	16.2	.480	3.2	8.0	.399	4.5	5.0	.899
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	13	37.9	18.4	2.5	5.2	7.6	3.4	1.2	2.1	3.0	3.2	7.3	16.2	.450	0.0	0.1	.000	3.8	5.2	.721
Lauri Markkanen	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 8
	Julius Erving	Lauri Markkanen
Season	1983-84	2024-25
Team	Philadelphia 76ers	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	76ers Lost East Conf 1st Rd	Did Not Play

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8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	77	34.8	22.4	2.5	4.4	6.9	4.0	1.8	1.8	3.0	2.8	8.8	17.2	.512	0.1	0.3	.333	4.7	6.3	.754
difference:	+30	+3.4	+3.4	+1.0		+1.0	+2.5	+1.1	+1.4	-1.6	-1.1	+2.5	+2.3	+.089	+2.8	+8.2	+.013	+1.3	+2.4	+.122
Lauri Markkanen	47	31.4	19.0	1.5	4.4	5.9	1.5	0.7	0.4	1.4	1.7	6.3	14.9	.423	2.9	8.5	.346	3.4	3.9	.876
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Julius Erving	5	38.8	18.2	1.8	4.6	6.4	5.0	1.6	1.2	4.2	2.8	7.2	15.2	.474	0.0	0.2	.000	3.8	4.4	.864
Lauri Markkanen	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Additional Years
* Julius Erving played 3 seasons more than Lauri Markkanen in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 9 to 11, from 1985 to 1987—Julius Erving played in 3 Playoffs. In those 3 extra years over Lauri Markkanen, Julius Erving got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	3 All-Star Game