Kenny Smith vs. Jayson Tatum Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jayson Tatum and Kenny Smith, 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.

Kenny Smith played 10 years in the NBA, 2 more than Jayson Tatum, who played 8. Kenny Smith had the first of his seasons in 1987-88, while Jayson Tatum 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.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Kenny Smith 10 5 1987-88 to 1996-97
Jayson Tatum 8 8 2017-18 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

Rookie Season

Kenny Smith Jayson Tatum
Season 1987-882017-18
Team Sacramento KingsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did not playCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith 61 35.6 13.8 0.7 1.6 2.3 7.1 1.5 0.1 3.0 2.3 5.4 11.4 .477 0.2 0.6 .308 2.7 3.3 .819
difference:+19+5.1+0.1+0.1+2.8+2.7+5.5+0.5+0.6-1.6-0.2+0.4+1.0+.002+1.1+2.4+.126+0.1+.007
Jayson Tatum 80 30.5 13.9 0.6 4.4 5.0 1.6 1.0 0.7 1.4 2.1 5.0 10.4 .475 1.3 3.0 .434 2.7 3.2 .826
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 19 35.9 18.5 0.5 3.8 4.4 2.7 1.2 0.5 2.2 2.6 6.5 13.7 .471 1.2 3.7 .324 4.3 5.1 .845

Season 2

Kenny Smith Jayson Tatum
Season 1988-892018-19
Team Sacramento KingsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did not playCeltics Lost East 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%
Kenny Smith 81 38.8 17.3 0.6 2.2 2.8 7.7 1.3 0.1 3.1 2.1 6.8 14.6 .462 0.6 1.6 .359 3.2 4.4 .737
difference:+2+7.7+1.6+0.3+3.0+3.2+5.6+0.2+0.6-1.6+0.9+1.5+.012+0.9+2.3+.014+0.7+1.5+.118
Jayson Tatum 79 31.1 15.7 0.9 5.2 6.0 2.1 1.1 0.7 1.5 2.1 5.9 13.1 .450 1.5 3.9 .373 2.5 2.9 .855
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 9 32.8 15.2 0.8 5.9 6.7 1.9 1.1 0.8 2.0 2.3 5.4 12.4 .438 1.1 3.4 .323 3.2 4.3 .744

Season 3

Kenny Smith Jayson Tatum
Season 1989-902019-20
Team Sacramento Kings, Atlanta HawksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did not playCeltics Lost East 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%
Kenny Smith 79 30.6 11.9 0.2 1.8 2.0 5.6 1.0 0.1 2.1 1.8 4.8 10.3 .466 0.3 1.1 .313 2.0 2.5 .821
difference:+13+3.7+11.5+0.8+4.2+5.0+2.6+0.4+0.8-0.2-0.3+3.6+8.3+.016+2.6+6.0+.090+1.8+2.2+.009
Jayson Tatum 66 34.3 23.4 1.0 6.0 7.0 3.0 1.4 0.9 2.3 2.1 8.4 18.6 .450 2.9 7.1 .403 3.8 4.7 .812
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 17 40.6 25.7 1.3 8.7 10.0 5.0 1.0 1.2 2.8 2.4 8.5 19.6 .434 2.8 7.4 .373 5.9 7.2 .813

Season 4

Kenny Smith Jayson Tatum
Season 1990-912020-21
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdCeltics Lost East 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%
Kenny Smith 78 34.6 17.7 0.5 1.6 2.1 7.1 1.4 0.1 3.0 1.7 6.7 12.9 .520 0.6 1.7 .363 3.7 4.4 .844
difference:+14+1.2+8.7+0.3+5.0+5.3+2.8+0.2+0.4-0.3-0.2+2.8+7.7+.061+2.3+5.9+.023+0.9+0.9+.024
Jayson Tatum 64 35.8 26.4 0.8 6.6 7.4 4.3 1.2 0.5 2.7 1.9 9.5 20.6 .459 2.9 7.6 .386 4.6 5.3 .868
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith 3 37.7 15.3 1.3 1.3 2.7 8.0 1.3 0.3 2.0 1.7 6.0 12.7 .474 0.7 1.3 .500 2.7 3.0 .889
difference:+2+0.7+15.3+0.7+3.9+3.1+3.4+0.1+1.3-0.6-1.3+3.4+9.5+.051+2.1+5.9+.111+6.3+6.8+.029
Jayson Tatum 5 37.0 30.6 0.6 5.2 5.8 4.6 1.2 1.6 2.6 3.0 9.4 22.2 .423 2.8 7.2 .389 9.0 9.8 .918

Season 5

Kenny Smith Jayson Tatum
Season 1991-922021-22
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did not playCeltics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith 81 33.8 14.0 0.4 1.8 2.2 6.9 1.3 0.1 2.8 1.4 5.3 11.2 .475 0.7 1.7 .394 2.7 3.1 .866
difference:+5+2.1+12.9+0.7+5.1+5.8+2.5+0.3+0.5-0.1-0.9+4.0+9.4+.022+2.3+6.9+.041+2.6+3.1+.013
Jayson Tatum 76 35.9 26.9 1.1 6.9 8.0 4.4 1.0 0.6 2.9 2.3 9.3 20.6 .453 3.0 8.6 .353 5.3 6.2 .853
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 24 41.0 25.6 1.0 5.7 6.7 6.2 1.2 0.9 4.2 3.0 8.4 19.7 .426 3.2 8.2 .393 5.7 7.1 .800

Season 6

Kenny Smith Jayson Tatum
Season 1992-932022-23
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisCeltics Lost East Conf 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%
Kenny Smith 82 29.5 13.0 0.3 1.6 2.0 5.4 1.0 0.1 2.0 1.3 4.7 9.1 .520 1.2 2.7 .438 2.4 2.7 .878
difference:+8+7.4+17.1+0.8+6.1+6.8+0.8+0.1+0.6-0.9-0.9+5.1+12.0+.054+2.0+6.6+.088+4.8+5.7+.024
Jayson Tatum 74 36.9 30.1 1.1 7.7 8.8 4.6 1.1 0.7 2.9 2.2 9.8 21.1 .466 3.2 9.3 .350 7.2 8.4 .854
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith 12 32.6 14.8 0.2 1.8 2.0 4.2 0.8 0.1 2.2 1.5 5.3 10.7 .492 1.9 3.8 .500 2.3 3.0 .778
difference:+8+7.4+12.4+1.1+7.4+8.5+1.1+0.3+1.0-0.6-0.7+4.0+9.5+.034+0.8+4.4+.177+3.7+3.9+.098
Jayson Tatum 20 40.0 27.2 1.3 9.2 10.5 5.3 1.1 1.1 2.8 2.2 9.3 20.2 .458 2.7 8.2 .323 6.0 6.9 .876

Season 7

Kenny Smith Jayson Tatum
Season 1993-942023-24
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith 78 28.3 11.6 0.3 1.5 1.8 4.2 0.8 0.1 1.6 1.6 4.4 9.1 .480 1.1 2.8 .405 1.7 2.0 .871
difference:+4+7.4+15.3+0.6+5.7+6.3+0.7+0.2+0.5-0.9-0.4+4.7+10.2+.009+2.0+5.4+.029+3.9+4.7+.038
Jayson Tatum 74 35.7 26.9 0.9 7.2 8.1 4.9 1.0 0.6 2.5 2.0 9.1 19.3 .471 3.1 8.2 .376 5.6 6.7 .833
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith 23 30.3 10.8 0.2 2.1 2.3 4.1 1.0 0.2 1.4 1.7 3.7 8.2 .455 1.5 3.3 .447 1.8 2.3 .808
difference:+4+10.1+14.2+0.7+6.7+7.4+2.2+0.1+0.5-1.2-1.1+4.7+11.4+.028+0.6+4.0+.164+4.4+4.9+.053
Jayson Tatum 19 40.4 25.0 0.9 8.8 9.7 6.3 1.1 0.7 2.6 2.8 8.4 19.6 .427 2.1 7.3 .283 6.2 7.2 .861

Season 8

Kenny Smith Jayson Tatum
Season 1994-952024-25
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionCeltics Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith 81 25.1 10.4 0.3 1.6 1.9 4.0 0.9 0.1 1.5 1.3 3.5 7.3 .484 1.8 4.1 .429 1.6 1.8 .851
difference:+9+11.3+16.4+0.4+6.4+6.8+2.0+0.2+0.4-1.4-0.9+5.7+13.0+.032+1.7+6.0+.086+3.4+4.3+.037
Jayson Tatum 72 36.4 26.8 0.7 8.0 8.7 6.0 1.1 0.5 2.9 2.2 9.2 20.3 .452 3.5 10.1 .343 5.0 6.1 .814
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kenny Smith 22 29.6 10.8 0.3 1.9 2.2 4.5 0.6 0.1 1.4 2.1 3.5 8.1 .438 2.1 4.7 .442 1.6 1.8 .900
difference:+14+10.7+17.3+0.8+8.5+9.3+0.9+1.5+0.7-1.9-0.5+5.8+13.8+.015+1.5+5.1+.070+4.4+5.0+.011
Jayson Tatum 8 40.3 28.1 1.1 10.4 11.5 5.4 2.1 0.8 3.3 2.6 9.3 21.9 .423 3.6 9.8 .372 6.0 6.8 .889

Additional Years

* Kenny Smith played 2 seasons more than Jayson Tatum in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 9 to 10, from 1996 to 1997—Kenny Smith played in one postseason.