Kyle Kuzma vs. Yao Ming Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Yao Ming 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.

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 and Yao Ming both played 8 years in the NBA. Kyle Kuzma had the first of his seasons in 2017-18, while Yao Ming had his rookie season in 2002-03. 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
	Kyle Kuzma	Yao Ming
Season	2017-18	2002-03
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	All-Rookie First Team	All-Rookie First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Did Not Play

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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		%
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:	+5	+2.2	+2.6	+1.3	+0.7	+1.9	+0.1	+0.2	+1.4	-0.3	-0.7	+1.2	+3.7	+.048	+2.1	+5.6		+1.8	+1.8	+.104
Yao Ming	82	29.0	13.5	2.4	5.8	8.2	1.7	0.4	1.8	2.1	2.8	4.9	9.8	.498	0.0	0.0	-	3.7	4.5	.811
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kyle Kuzma nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
	Kyle Kuzma	Yao Ming
Season	2018-19	2003-04
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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:	+12	+0.3	+1.2	+1.5	+2.0	+3.5	+1.0	+0.3	+1.5	-0.6	-0.9	+0.6	+3.0	+.066	+1.8	+6.0		+1.7	+1.8	+.057
Yao Ming	82	32.8	17.5	2.4	6.6	9.0	1.5	0.3	1.9	2.5	3.3	6.5	12.5	.522	0.0	0.0	-	4.4	5.4	.809
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kyle Kuzma	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yao Ming	5	37.6	15.0	2.2	5.2	7.4	1.8	0.4	1.4	2.6	4.0	6.2	13.6	.456	0.0	0.0	-	2.6	3.4	.765

Season 3
	Kyle Kuzma	Yao Ming
Season	2019-20	2004-05
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Rockets Lost West 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		%
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:	+19	+5.6	+5.5	+1.7	+2.2	+3.9	+0.5	+0.1	+1.6	-1.0	-1.6	+1.9	+1.2	+.116	+1.4	+4.5		+3.0	+3.7	+.048
Yao Ming	80	30.6	18.3	2.6	5.8	8.4	0.8	0.4	2.0	2.5	3.7	6.7	12.2	.552	0.0	0.0	-	4.9	6.2	.783
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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
difference:	+14	+8.9	+11.4	+2.4	+2.2	+4.6	+0.1		+2.4	-1.7	-2.0	+4.2	+3.5	+.225	+1.2	+4.0		+4.3	+6.1	+.057
Yao Ming	7	31.9	21.4	3.3	4.4	7.7	0.7	0.3	2.7	2.7	4.4	7.9	12.0	.655	0.0	0.0	-	5.7	7.9	.727

Season 4
	Kyle Kuzma	Yao Ming
Season	2020-21	2005-06
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Lakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd	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		%
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:	+11	+5.5	+9.4	+1.0	+3.1	+4.1	+0.4		+1.0	-0.9	-1.6	+3.3	+4.7	+.076	+2.0	+5.6		+4.9	+5.5	+.162
Yao Ming	57	34.2	22.3	2.6	7.6	10.2	1.5	0.5	1.6	2.6	3.4	8.2	15.8	.519	0.0	0.0	-	5.9	6.9	.853
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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
Yao Ming	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 5
	Kyle Kuzma	Yao Ming
Season	2021-22	2006-07
Team	Washington Wizards	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Second Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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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		%
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:	+18	+0.4	+7.9	+1.0	+0.1	+0.9	+1.5	+0.2	+1.1	-0.9	-1.4	+2.4	+2.9	+.064	+1.9	+5.7		+5.0	+5.3	+.150
Yao Ming	48	33.8	25.0	2.1	7.3	9.4	2.0	0.4	2.0	3.5	3.3	8.8	17.1	.516	0.0	0.0	-	7.4	8.6	.862
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kyle Kuzma	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yao Ming	7	37.1	25.1	3.3	7.0	10.3	0.9	0.1	0.7	4.7	3.9	7.9	17.9	.440	0.0	0.0	-	9.4	10.7	.880

Season 6
	Kyle Kuzma	Yao Ming
Season	2022-23	2007-08
Team	Washington Wizards	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third 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		%
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:	+9	+2.2	+0.8	+2.2	+1.3	+3.6	+1.4	+0.1	+1.5	-0.3	-0.8	+0.1	+2.3	+.059	+2.5	+7.5		+3.6	+3.7	+.120
Yao Ming	55	37.2	22.0	3.1	7.7	10.8	2.3	0.5	2.0	3.3	3.1	7.9	15.5	.507	0.0	0.0	-	6.3	7.4	.850
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Kyle Kuzma nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 6

Season 7
	Kyle Kuzma	Yao Ming
Season	2023-24	2008-09
Team	Washington Wizards	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Second Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Rockets Lost West Conf Semis

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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		%
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:	+7	+1.0	+2.5	+1.7	+1.5	+3.3	+2.4	+0.1	+1.2	-0.3	-1.1	+1.3	+5.4	+.085	+2.2	+6.4		+2.2	+2.3	+.091
Yao Ming	77	33.6	19.7	2.6	7.2	9.9	1.8	0.4	1.9	3.0	3.3	7.4	13.4	.548	0.0	0.0	-	4.9	5.7	.866
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Kyle Kuzma	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yao Ming	9	35.9	17.1	2.1	8.8	10.9	1.0	0.4	1.2	1.9	3.0	6.0	11.0	.545	0.0	0.0	-	5.1	5.7	.902

Note: Yao Ming didn't play in 2009-10.

Season 8
	Kyle Kuzma	Yao Ming
Season	2024-25	2010-11
Team	Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Bucks Lost East Conf 1st Rd	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		%
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:	+60	+11.6	+4.6	+0.6	+0.9	+0.3	+1.5	+0.6	+1.3	-0.8	-0.8	+2.1	+5.6	+.050	+1.5	+4.8		+1.0	+0.1	+.304
Yao Ming	5	18.2	10.2	1.4	4.0	5.4	0.8	0.0	1.6	1.4	2.6	3.6	7.4	.486	0.0	0.0	-	3.0	3.2	.938
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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
Yao Ming	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-