Keldon Johnson vs. Gary Payton Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Gary Payton and Keldon 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.

Keldon Johnson played 6 years in the NBA, 11 less than Gary Payton, who played 17. Keldon Johnson had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, while Gary Payton had his rookie season in 1990-91. 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.

Their Careers

Player		 Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Keldon Johnson 6 0 2019-20 to 2024-25
Gary Payton 17 15 1990-91 to 2006-07

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
Keldon Johnson Gary Payton
Season 2019-201990-91
Team San Antonio SpursSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie Second Team
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 17 17.7 9.1 0.6 2.8 3.4 0.9 0.8 0.1 0.8 1.6 3.1 5.2 .596 0.8 1.3 .591 2.1 2.6 .795
difference:+65+9.7+1.9+0.7+1.2+0.4+5.5+1.2+0.1-1.4-1.4+0.1+1.8+.146+0.8+1.1+.514+1.3+1.4+.084
Gary Payton 82 27.4 7.2 1.3 1.6 3.0 6.4 2.0 0.2 2.2 3.0 3.2 7.0 .450 0.0 0.2 .077 0.8 1.2 .711
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Gary Payton 5 27.0 4.8 1.0 1.6 2.6 6.4 1.6 0.2 1.8 3.2 2.2 5.4 .407 0.0 0.2 .000 0.4 0.4 1.000

Season 2
Keldon Johnson Gary Payton
Season 2020-211991-92
Team San Antonio SpursSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 69 28.5 12.8 1.3 4.6 6.0 1.8 0.6 0.3 1.1 2.1 4.9 10.2 .479 0.9 2.6 .331 2.1 2.8 .740
difference:+12+3.0+3.4+0.2+2.5+2.4+4.4+1.2-1.0-1.0+0.8+1.1+.028+0.9+2.3+.201+0.9+1.0+.071
Gary Payton 81 31.5 9.4 1.5 2.1 3.6 6.2 1.8 0.3 2.1 3.1 4.1 9.1 .451 0.0 0.3 .130 1.2 1.8 .669
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Gary Payton 8 27.6 7.6 0.8 1.9 2.6 4.8 1.0 0.3 1.3 3.3 3.4 7.3 .466 0.0 0.3 .000 0.9 1.5 .583

Season 3
Keldon Johnson Gary Payton
Season 2021-221992-93
Team San Antonio SpursSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 75 31.9 17.0 1.1 5.0 6.1 2.1 0.8 0.2 1.2 2.0 6.3 13.5 .466 2.1 5.3 .398 2.4 3.1 .756
difference:+7+0.8+3.5+0.1+2.7+2.7+2.8+1.4+0.1-0.6-1.0+0.5+1.8+.028+2.0+4.9+.192+0.6+0.7+.014
Gary Payton 82 31.1 13.5 1.2 2.3 3.4 4.9 2.2 0.3 1.8 3.0 5.8 11.7 .494 0.1 0.4 .206 1.8 2.4 .770
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Gary Payton 19 31.8 12.3 1.2 2.2 3.3 3.7 1.8 0.2 1.8 3.4 5.5 12.4 .443 0.1 0.3 .167 1.3 1.9 .676

Season 4
Keldon Johnson Gary Payton
Season 2022-231993-94
Team San Antonio SpursSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 63 32.7 22.0 0.9 4.2 5.0 2.9 0.7 0.2 2.1 2.0 8.0 17.7 .452 2.1 6.5 .329 3.9 5.2 .749
difference:+19+2.4+5.5+0.4+2.2+1.7+3.1+1.6-0.8+0.9+3.6+.052+1.9+5.8+.051+1.9+1.8+.154
Gary Payton 82 35.1 16.5 1.3 2.0 3.3 6.0 2.3 0.2 2.1 2.8 7.1 14.1 .504 0.2 0.7 .278 2.0 3.4 .595
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Gary Payton 5 36.2 15.8 1.2 2.2 3.4 5.6 1.6 0.4 1.6 3.0 6.8 13.8 .493 0.6 1.8 .333 1.6 3.8 .421

Season 5
Keldon Johnson Gary Payton
Season 2023-241994-95
Team San Antonio SpursSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 69 29.5 15.7 1.4 4.1 5.5 2.8 0.7 0.3 1.4 2.2 5.7 12.5 .454 1.8 5.3 .346 2.5 3.2 .792
difference:+13+7.3+4.9+0.1+2.0+2.1+4.3+1.8+0.1-1.1-0.3+2.7+3.9+.055+0.9+2.5+.044+0.5+1.0+.076
Gary Payton 82 36.8 20.6 1.3 2.1 3.4 7.1 2.5 0.2 2.5 2.5 8.4 16.4 .509 0.9 2.8 .302 3.0 4.2 .716
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Gary Payton 4 43.0 17.8 1.5 1.0 2.5 5.3 1.3 0.0 2.0 3.3 8.0 16.8 .478 0.5 2.5 .200 1.3 3.0 .417

Season 6
Keldon Johnson Gary Payton
Season 2024-251995-96
Team San Antonio SpursSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement Defensive Player of the Year
-Achievement Steals Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 77 23.9 12.7 1.5 3.4 4.8 1.6 0.6 0.3 1.0 1.5 4.8 10.0 .482 1.1 3.6 .318 1.9 2.5 .773
difference:+4+15.1+6.6+0.2+0.5+0.6+5.9+2.3+0.1-2.2-1.2+2.8+5.8+.002+0.1+0.1+.010+0.9+1.3+.025
Gary Payton 81 39.0 19.3 1.3 2.9 4.2 7.5 2.9 0.2 3.2 2.7 7.6 15.8 .484 1.2 3.7 .328 2.8 3.8 .748
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Gary Payton 21 43.4 20.7 0.9 4.2 5.1 6.8 1.8 0.3 3.0 3.3 7.7 15.9 .485 2.0 4.8 .410 3.3 5.2 .633

Additional Years

* Gary Payton played 11 seasons more than Keldon Johnson in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 17, from 1997 to 2007—Gary Payton played in 9 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 11 extra years over Keldon Johnson, Gary Payton got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 2 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 3 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 6 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 6 All-Star Game
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