Kevin Love vs. Domantas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Love, 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.

Kevin Love played 17 years in the NBA, 8 more than Domantas Sabonis, who played 9. Kevin Love had the first of his seasons in 2008-09, while Domantas Sabonis had his rookie season in 2016-17. 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
	Kevin Love	Domantas Sabonis
Season	2008-09	2016-17
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Oklahoma City Thunder
Honors & Awards	All-Rookie Second Team	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Thunder Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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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		%
Kevin Love	81	25.3	11.1	3.4	5.7	9.1	1.0	0.4	0.6	1.5	2.5	3.9	8.5	.459	0.0	0.2	.105	3.3	4.1	.789
difference:		+5.2	+5.2	+2.8	+2.7	+5.5		+0.1	+0.2	-0.5		+1.5	+2.6	+.060	+0.6	+1.8	+.216	+2.8	+3.3	+.132
Domantas Sabonis	81	20.1	5.9	0.6	3.0	3.6	1.0	0.5	0.4	1.0	2.5	2.4	5.9	.399	0.6	2.0	.321	0.5	0.8	.657
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kevin Love	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Domantas Sabonis	2	3.0	2.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.0	2.0	0.0	1.5	.000	0.0	0.5	.000	2.0	2.0	1.000

Season 3
	Kevin Love	Domantas Sabonis
Season	2010-11	2018-19
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Indiana Pacers
Honors & Awards	Most Improved Player	-
	Rebounds Leader	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Pacers Lost East Conf 1st Rd

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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		%
Kevin Love	73	35.8	20.2	4.5	10.7	15.2	2.5	0.6	0.4	2.1	2.0	6.6	14.1	.470	1.2	2.9	.417	5.8	6.8	.850
difference:	+1	+11.0	+6.1	+2.0	+3.9	+5.9	+0.4			-0.1	-1.2	+1.0	+4.6	+.120	+1.1	+2.7	+.112	+3.0	+2.9	+.135
Domantas Sabonis	74	24.8	14.1	2.5	6.8	9.3	2.9	0.6	0.4	2.2	3.2	5.6	9.5	.590	0.1	0.2	.529	2.8	3.9	.715
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kevin Love	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Domantas Sabonis	4	24.0	8.5	1.8	5.5	7.3	4.0	0.8	0.3	1.3	3.0	3.0	7.3	.414	0.3	1.0	.250	2.3	3.5	.643

Season 4
	Kevin Love	Domantas Sabonis
Season	2011-12	2019-20
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Indiana Pacers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	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		%
Kevin Love	55	39.0	26.0	4.1	9.2	13.3	2.0	0.9	0.5	2.3	2.8	8.6	19.3	.448	1.9	5.1	.372	6.9	8.4	.824
difference:	+7	+4.2	+7.5	+1.1	+0.2	+0.9	+3.0	+0.1		-0.4	-0.3	+1.2	+5.6	+.092	+1.6	+4.0	+.118	+3.4	+3.6	+.101
Domantas Sabonis	62	34.8	18.5	3.0	9.4	12.4	5.0	0.8	0.5	2.7	3.1	7.4	13.7	.540	0.3	1.1	.254	3.5	4.8	.723
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kevin Love nor Domantas Sabonis played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5
	Kevin Love	Domantas Sabonis
Season	2012-13	2020-21
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Indiana Pacers
Honors & Awards	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	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		%
Kevin Love	18	34.3	18.3	3.6	10.4	14.0	2.3	0.7	0.5	2.2	1.9	5.8	16.6	.352	1.1	5.1	.217	5.6	7.9	.704
difference:	+44	+1.7	+2.0	+1.2	+0.9	+2.0	+4.4	+0.5		-1.2	-1.4	+2.0	+2.0	+.183	+0.3	+2.5	+.104	+1.7	+2.6	+.028
Domantas Sabonis	62	36.0	20.3	2.4	9.5	12.0	6.7	1.2	0.5	3.4	3.3	7.8	14.6	.535	0.8	2.6	.321	3.9	5.3	.732
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kevin Love nor Domantas Sabonis played in the postseason in their season 5

Season 6
	Kevin Love	Domantas Sabonis
Season	2013-14	2021-22
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	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		%
Kevin Love	77	36.3	26.1	2.9	9.6	12.5	4.4	0.8	0.5	2.5	1.8	8.4	18.5	.457	2.5	6.6	.376	6.8	8.2	.821
difference:	+15	+1.8	+7.2	+0.3	+0.7	+0.4	+0.8	+0.2	+0.1	-0.6	-1.5	+1.3	+6.0	+.116	+1.9	+4.6	+.064	+2.8	+2.8	+.080
Domantas Sabonis	62	34.5	18.9	3.2	8.9	12.1	5.2	1.0	0.4	3.1	3.3	7.1	12.5	.573	0.6	2.0	.312	4.0	5.4	.741
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kevin Love nor Domantas Sabonis played in the postseason in their season 6

Season 7
	Kevin Love	Domantas Sabonis
Season	2014-15	2022-23
Team	Cleveland Cavaliers	Sacramento Kings
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	-	Rebounds Leader
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Cavaliers Lost NBA Finals	Kings Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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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		%
Kevin Love	75	33.8	16.4	1.9	7.9	9.7	2.2	0.7	0.5	1.6	1.9	5.5	12.7	.434	1.9	5.2	.367	3.4	4.3	.804
difference:	+4	+0.8	+2.7	+1.3	+1.2	+2.6	+5.1	+0.1		-1.3	-1.6	+1.8	+0.8	+.181	+1.5	+4.1	+.006	+0.7	+1.2	+.062
Domantas Sabonis	79	34.6	19.1	3.2	9.1	12.3	7.3	0.8	0.5	2.9	3.5	7.3	11.9	.615	0.4	1.1	.373	4.1	5.5	.742
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kevin Love	4	26.8	14.3	1.5	5.5	7.0	2.5	0.3	0.5	1.5	3.0	4.3	10.3	.415	2.3	5.3	.429	3.5	4.8	.737
difference:	+3	+7.9	+2.1	+2.9	+1.1	+4.0	+2.2	+1.1	+0.4	-2.2	-1.0	+2.7	+3.8	+.080	+2.2	+4.6	+.229	+1.2	+0.8	+.166
Domantas Sabonis	7	34.7	16.4	4.4	6.6	11.0	4.7	1.4	0.9	3.7	4.0	7.0	14.1	.495	0.1	0.7	.200	2.3	4.0	.571

Season 8
	Kevin Love	Domantas Sabonis
Season	2015-16	2023-24
Team	Cleveland Cavaliers	Sacramento Kings
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	-	Rebounds Leader
Playoffs	NBA Champion	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		%
Kevin Love	77	31.5	16.0	1.9	8.0	9.9	2.4	0.8	0.5	1.8	2.1	5.3	12.7	.419	2.1	5.7	.360	3.4	4.1	.822
difference:	+5	+4.2	+3.4	+1.7	+2.1	+3.8	+5.8	+0.1	+0.1	-1.5	-0.9	+2.4	+0.3	+.175	+1.7	+4.6	+.019	+0.2	+1.0	+.118
Domantas Sabonis	82	35.7	19.4	3.6	10.1	13.7	8.2	0.9	0.6	3.3	3.0	7.7	13.0	.594	0.4	1.1	.379	3.6	5.1	.704
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kevin Love	20	30.7	14.7	1.7	7.1	8.8	2.1	0.5	0.4	1.4	1.7	4.6	12.0	.385	2.3	5.6	.414	3.2	3.8	.840
Domantas Sabonis	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 9
	Kevin Love	Domantas Sabonis
Season	2016-17	2024-25
Team	Cleveland Cavaliers	Sacramento Kings
Honors & Awards	-	Rebounds Leader
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Cavaliers Lost NBA Finals	Did Not Play

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9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kevin Love	60	31.4	19.0	2.5	8.6	11.1	1.9	0.9	0.4	2.0	2.1	6.2	14.5	.427	2.4	6.5	.373	4.3	4.9	.871
difference:	+10	+3.3	+0.1	+1.3	+1.5	+2.8	+4.1	+0.2		-0.9	-1.2	+1.3	+1.7	+.163	+1.5	+4.3	+.044	+1.2	+0.8	+.117
Domantas Sabonis	70	34.7	19.1	3.8	10.1	13.9	6.0	0.7	0.4	2.9	3.3	7.5	12.8	.590	0.9	2.2	.417	3.1	4.1	.754
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kevin Love	18	32.1	16.8	2.0	8.6	10.6	1.7	1.2	0.9	1.7	2.6	5.3	12.1	.436	2.8	6.2	.450	3.5	4.2	.840
Domantas Sabonis	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Additional Years
* Kevin Love played 8 seasons more than Domantas Sabonis in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 10 to 17, from 2018 to 2025—Kevin Love played in 3 Playoffs. In those 8 extra years over Domantas Sabonis, Kevin Love got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	1 All-Star Game