Kyle Kuzma vs. Nate Thurmond Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Nate Thurmond and Kyle Kuzma, 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.

Kyle Kuzma played 8 years in the NBA, 6 less than Nate Thurmond, who played 14. Kyle Kuzma had the first of his seasons in 2017-18, while Nate Thurmond had his rookie season in 1963-64. 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
Kyle Kuzma 8 3 2017-18 to 2024-25
Nate Thurmond 14 9 1963-64 to 1976-77

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

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

Rookie Season
Kyle Kuzma Nate Thurmond
Season 2017-181963-64
Team Los Angeles LakersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayWarriors Lost NBA 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%
Kyle Kuzma 77 31.2 16.1 1.1 5.1 6.3 1.8 0.6 0.4 1.8 2.1 6.1 13.5 .450 2.1 5.6 .366 1.9 2.7 .707
difference:+1+5.3+9.1+4.1+0.7-0.3+3.2+6.2+.055+0.6+0.4+.158
Nate Thurmond 76 25.9 7.0 - - 10.4 1.1 - - - 2.4 2.9 7.3 .395 - - - 1.3 2.3 .549
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma DNP------ --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 12 34.2 10.0 - - 12.3 0.8 - - - 3.8 3.5 8.0 .438 - - - 3.0 4.4 .679

Season 2
Kyle Kuzma Nate Thurmond
Season 2018-191964-65
Team Los Angeles LakersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma 70 33.1 18.7 0.9 4.6 5.5 2.5 0.6 0.4 1.9 2.4 7.1 15.5 .456 1.8 6.0 .303 2.7 3.6 .752
difference:+7+8.1+2.2+12.6+0.5-0.6+0.4+0.6+.037+0.4+1.0+.094
Nate Thurmond 77 41.2 16.5 - - 18.1 2.0 - - - 3.0 6.7 16.1 .419 - - - 3.1 4.6 .658
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kyle Kuzma nor Nate Thurmond played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3
Kyle Kuzma Nate Thurmond
Season 2019-201965-66
Team Los Angeles LakersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma 61 25.0 12.8 0.9 3.6 4.5 1.3 0.5 0.4 1.5 2.1 4.8 11.0 .436 1.4 4.5 .316 1.9 2.5 .735
difference:+12+14.6+3.5+13.5+0.2-1.0+1.4+4.3+.030+1.9+3.4+.081
Nate Thurmond 73 39.6 16.3 - - 18.0 1.5 - - - 3.1 6.2 15.3 .406 - - - 3.8 5.9 .654
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma 21 23.0 10.0 0.9 2.2 3.1 0.8 0.3 0.3 1.0 2.4 3.7 8.5 .430 1.2 4.0 .313 1.4 1.8 .784
Nate Thurmond DNP------ --- ----------

Season 4
Kyle Kuzma Nate Thurmond
Season 2020-211966-67
Team Los Angeles LakersSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf 1st RdWarriors Lost NBA Finals
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma 68 28.7 12.9 1.6 4.5 6.1 1.9 0.5 0.6 1.7 1.8 4.9 11.1 .443 2.0 5.6 .361 1.0 1.4 .691
difference:+3+13.8+5.8+15.2+0.7-1.0+2.3+5.3+.006+3.3+5.4+.062
Nate Thurmond 65 42.5 18.7 - - 21.3 2.6 - - - 2.8 7.2 16.4 .437 - - - 4.3 6.8 .629
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma 6 21.5 6.3 0.7 3.2 3.8 1.2 0.3 0.2 1.0 1.3 2.3 8.0 .292 0.7 3.8 .174 1.0 1.5 .667
difference:+9+24.5+9.6+19.3+1.9-2.2+3.9+6.3+.141+2.5+4.6+.096
Nate Thurmond 15 46.0 15.9 - - 23.1 3.1 - - - 3.5 6.2 14.3 .433 - - - 3.5 6.1 .571

Season 5
Kyle Kuzma Nate Thurmond
Season 2021-221967-68
Team Washington WizardsSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid 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%
Kyle Kuzma 66 33.4 17.1 1.1 7.4 8.5 3.5 0.6 0.9 2.6 1.9 6.4 14.2 .452 1.9 5.7 .341 2.4 3.3 .712
difference:+15+10.2+3.4+13.5+0.7-0.8+1.1+4.0+.041+3.1+5.3+.068
Nate Thurmond 51 43.6 20.5 - - 22.0 4.2 - - - 2.7 7.5 18.2 .411 - - - 5.5 8.6 .644
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kyle Kuzma nor Nate Thurmond played in the postseason in their season 5

Season 6
Kyle Kuzma Nate Thurmond
Season 2022-231968-69
Team Washington WizardsSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayWarriors Lost West Div Semis
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma 64 35.0 21.2 0.9 6.4 7.2 3.7 0.6 0.5 3.0 2.3 8.0 17.8 .448 2.5 7.5 .333 2.7 3.7 .730
difference:+7+10.2+0.3+12.5+0.1-0.1+1.8+.038+2.7+5.0+.115
Nate Thurmond 71 45.2 21.5 - - 19.7 3.6 - - - 2.4 8.0 19.6 .410 - - - 5.4 8.7 .615
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma DNP------ --- ----------
Nate Thurmond 6 43.8 16.7 - - 19.5 4.7 - - - 3.0 6.7 17.0 .392 - - - 3.3 5.7 .588

Season 7
Kyle Kuzma Nate Thurmond
Season 2023-241969-70
Team Washington WizardsSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma 70 32.6 22.2 0.9 5.7 6.6 4.2 0.5 0.7 2.7 2.2 8.7 18.8 .463 2.2 6.4 .336 2.7 3.4 .775
difference:+27+12.0+0.3+11.1+0.7-0.4+0.8+0.4+.049+3.4+4.6+.021
Nate Thurmond 43 44.6 21.9 - - 17.7 3.5 - - - 2.6 7.9 19.2 .414 - - - 6.1 8.0 .754
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kyle Kuzma nor Nate Thurmond played in the postseason in their season 7

Season 8
Kyle Kuzma Nate Thurmond
Season 2024-251970-71
Team Washington Wizards, Milwaukee BucksSan Francisco Warriors
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Playoffs Bucks Lost East Conf 1st RdWarriors Lost West 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%
Kyle Kuzma 65 29.8 14.8 0.8 4.9 5.7 2.3 0.6 0.3 2.2 1.8 5.7 13.0 .436 1.5 4.8 .307 2.0 3.1 .634
difference:+17+11.1+5.2+8.1+0.8-0.5+1.9+4.1+.009+2.8+3.5+.096
Nate Thurmond 82 40.9 20.0 - - 13.8 3.1 - - - 2.3 7.6 17.1 .445 - - - 4.8 6.6 .730
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Kyle Kuzma 5 20.4 5.8 0.6 1.6 2.2 0.8 0.0 0.2 0.6 2.4 2.4 7.0 .343 0.4 2.0 .200 0.6 1.2 .500
difference:+18.0+11.8+8.0+2.2-1.6+4.8+12.4+.028+2.6+2.8+.300
Nate Thurmond 5 38.4 17.6 - - 10.2 3.0 - - - 4.0 7.2 19.4 .371 - - - 3.2 4.0 .800

Additional Years

* Nate Thurmond played 6 seasons more than Kyle Kuzma in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 9 to 14, from 1972 to 1977—Nate Thurmond played in 5 Playoffs.

In those 6 extra years over Kyle Kuzma, Nate Thurmond got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 3 All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement 2 All-Star Game
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