Kevin Johnson vs. Ja Morant Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ja Morant and Kevin 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 / Stats Rankings

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.

Kevin Johnson played 12 years in the NBA, 6 more than Ja Morant, who played 6. Kevin Johnson had the first of his seasons in 1987-88, while Ja Morant had his rookie season in 2019-20. 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
Kevin Johnson 12 11 1987-88 to 1999-00
Ja Morant 6 4 2019-20 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season

Kevin Johnson Ja Morant
Season 1987-882019-20
Team Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix SunsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 80 24.0 9.2 0.5 1.9 2.4 5.5 1.3 0.3 1.8 1.9 3.4 7.5 .461 0.1 0.3 .208 2.2 2.6 .839
difference:+13+7.0+8.6+0.3+1.2+1.5+1.8+0.4-1.5-0.3+3.3+6.5+.016+0.8+2.4+.127+1.4+2.0+.063
Ja Morant 67 31.0 17.8 0.8 3.1 3.9 7.3 0.9 0.3 3.3 1.6 6.7 14.0 .477 0.9 2.7 .335 3.6 4.6 .776
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kevin Johnson nor Ja Morant played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Kevin Johnson Ja Morant
Season 1988-892020-21
Team Phoenix SunsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement Most Improved Player-
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf FinalsGrizzlies Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 81 39.2 20.4 0.6 3.6 4.2 12.2 1.7 0.3 4.0 2.8 7.0 13.9 .505 0.0 0.3 .091 6.3 7.1 .882
difference:+18+6.6+1.3+0.3+0.5+0.2+4.8+0.8+0.1-0.8-1.4+0.2+1.3+.056+1.2+3.5+.212+2.0+1.2+.154
Ja Morant 63 32.6 19.1 0.9 3.1 4.0 7.4 0.9 0.2 3.2 1.4 6.8 15.2 .449 1.2 3.8 .303 4.3 5.9 .728
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 12 41.2 23.8 1.0 3.3 4.3 12.3 1.6 0.4 4.6 2.3 7.5 15.2 .495 0.3 0.8 .300 8.5 9.2 .927
difference:+7+0.6+6.4+0.4+0.1+0.5+4.1+1.2+0.4-1.2-0.5+3.5+7.4+.008+1.7+5.4+.023+2.3+1.2+.152
Ja Morant 5 40.6 30.2 1.4 3.4 4.8 8.2 0.4 0.0 3.4 1.8 11.0 22.6 .487 2.0 6.2 .323 6.2 8.0 .775

Season 3

Kevin Johnson Ja Morant
Season 1989-902021-22
Team Phoenix SunsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second TeamAchievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement Most Improved Player
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf FinalsGrizzlies Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 74 37.6 22.5 0.6 3.1 3.6 11.4 1.3 0.2 3.6 1.9 7.8 15.7 .499 0.1 0.6 .195 6.8 8.1 .838
difference:+17+4.5+4.9+0.8+1.3+2.1+4.7+0.1+0.2-0.2-0.4+2.4+4.9+.006+1.4+3.9+.149+1.3+0.8+.077
Ja Morant 57 33.1 27.4 1.4 4.4 5.7 6.7 1.2 0.4 3.4 1.5 10.2 20.6 .493 1.5 4.5 .344 5.5 7.3 .761
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 16 36.4 21.3 0.6 2.8 3.3 10.6 1.6 0.0 3.9 1.8 7.7 16.1 .479 0.1 0.7 .182 5.8 7.0 .821
difference:+7+1.2+5.8+0.8+3.8+4.7+0.8+0.4+0.4-0.3-0.6+1.3+4.3+.039+1.8+4.9+.158+1.4+2.7+.074
Ja Morant 9 37.6 27.1 1.4 6.6 8.0 9.8 2.0 0.4 3.6 2.4 9.0 20.4 .440 1.9 5.6 .340 7.2 9.7 .747

Season 4

Kevin Johnson Ja Morant
Season 1990-912022-23
Team Phoenix SunsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf 1st RdGrizzlies 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%
Kevin Johnson 77 36.0 22.2 0.7 2.8 3.5 10.1 2.1 0.1 3.5 2.3 7.7 14.9 .516 0.1 0.6 .205 6.7 8.0 .843
difference:+16+4.1+4.0+0.3+2.1+2.4+2.0+1.0+0.2-0.1-0.7+1.6+5.0+.050+1.4+4.3+.102+0.6+0.1+.095
Ja Morant 61 31.9 26.2 1.0 4.9 5.9 8.1 1.1 0.3 3.4 1.6 9.3 19.9 .466 1.5 4.9 .307 6.1 8.1 .748
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 4 36.5 12.8 0.5 2.8 3.3 9.8 0.5 0.3 3.0 2.3 4.0 13.3 .302 0.3 1.8 .143 4.5 7.5 .600
difference:+1+0.9+11.8+1.1+2.4+3.5+2.8+1.3+0.1-0.4-0.1+5.0+7.9+.123+2.3+4.4+.276+0.5+2.3+.169
Ja Morant 5 37.4 24.6 1.6 5.2 6.8 7.0 1.8 0.2 3.4 2.4 9.0 21.2 .425 2.6 6.2 .419 4.0 5.2 .769

Season 5

Kevin Johnson Ja Morant
Season 1991-922023-24
Team Phoenix SunsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 78 37.2 19.7 0.8 3.0 3.7 10.7 1.5 0.3 3.5 2.3 6.9 14.4 .479 0.1 0.6 .217 5.7 7.1 .807
difference:+69+1.9+5.4+0.1+1.9+1.9+2.6+0.7+0.3-0.5-0.2+2.0+4.5+.008+1.5+5.1+.058+0.1+.006
Ja Morant 9 35.3 25.1 0.7 4.9 5.6 8.1 0.8 0.6 3.0 2.1 8.9 18.9 .471 1.6 5.7 .275 5.8 7.1 .813
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 8 41.9 23.6 1.0 3.1 4.1 11.6 1.5 0.3 3.1 3.0 7.8 16.0 .484 0.4 0.8 .500 7.8 9.0 .861
Ja Morant DNP------ --- ----------

Season 6

Kevin Johnson Ja Morant
Season 1992-932024-25
Team Phoenix SunsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Suns Lost NBA FinalsGrizzlies Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 49 33.5 16.1 0.6 1.5 2.1 7.8 1.7 0.4 3.1 2.0 5.8 11.5 .499 0.0 0.2 .125 4.6 5.6 .819
difference:+1+3.1+7.1+0.1+1.9+2.0+0.5+0.5+0.2-0.6-0.3+2.3+6.3+.045+1.8+5.5+.184+0.7+0.8+.005
Ja Morant 50 30.4 23.2 0.7 3.4 4.1 7.3 1.2 0.2 3.7 2.3 8.1 17.8 .454 1.8 5.7 .309 5.3 6.4 .824
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kevin Johnson 23 39.7 17.8 0.4 2.3 2.7 7.9 1.5 0.6 3.7 2.5 6.2 13.0 .480 0.0 0.1 .000 5.4 6.8 .795
difference:+20+12.4+0.5+0.1+0.6+0.7+2.9+0.8+0.1-1.7-1.5+1.1+4.7+.065+1.3+5.2+.250+3.1+3.1+.159
Ja Morant 3 27.3 18.3 0.3 1.7 2.0 5.0 0.7 0.7 2.0 1.0 7.3 17.7 .415 1.3 5.3 .250 2.3 3.7 .636

Additional Years

* Kevin Johnson played 6 seasons more than Ja Morant in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 12, from 1994 to 2000—Kevin Johnson played in 6 Playoffs.

In those 6 extra years over Ja Morant, Kevin Johnson got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 1 All-Star Game