LaMelo Ball vs. Bob Thornton Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Bob Thornton and LaMelo Ball, 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.

LaMelo Ball played 4 years in the NBA, 4 less than Bob Thornton, who played 8. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Bob Thornton had his rookie season in 1985-86. 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 achivements, 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
LaMelo Ball 4 0 2020-21 to 2023-24
Bob Thornton 8 2 1985-86 to 1995-96

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

Rookie Season

LaMelo Ball Bob Thornton
Season 2020-211985-86
Team Charlotte HornetsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball 51 28.8 15.7 1.2 4.7 5.9 6.1 1.6 0.4 2.8 2.7 5.7 13.2 .436 1.8 5.1 .352 2.5 3.2 .758
Bob Thornton 71 18.6 4.7 1.6 2.5 4.1 0.6 0.4 0.1 1.2 2.9 1.8 3.9 .456 0.0 0.0 - 1.2 2.3 .531
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton ------- --- ----------

Season 2

LaMelo Ball Bob Thornton
Season 2021-221986-87
Team Charlotte HornetsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball 75 32.3 20.1 1.4 5.2 6.7 7.6 1.6 0.4 3.3 3.2 7.2 16.7 .429 2.9 7.5 .389 2.8 3.2 .872
Bob Thornton 33 8.5 2.2 0.5 1.2 1.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.7 1.5 0.9 2.0 .433 0.0 0.0 .000 0.4 0.6 .650
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton ------- --- ----------

Season 3

LaMelo Ball Bob Thornton
Season 2022-231987-88
Team Charlotte HornetsNew York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball 36 35.2 23.3 1.2 5.3 6.4 8.4 1.3 0.3 3.6 3.3 8.2 20.0 .411 4.0 10.6 .376 2.8 3.4 .836
Bob Thornton 48 12.4 3.4 1.0 1.4 2.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.7 2.1 1.4 2.7 .500 0.0 0.0 .000 0.7 1.1 .618
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton ------- --- ----------

Season 4

LaMelo Ball Bob Thornton
Season 2023-241988-89
Team Charlotte HornetsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball 22 32.3 23.9 1.3 3.8 5.1 8.0 1.8 0.2 3.8 3.6 8.3 19.2 .433 3.2 9.0 .355 4.1 4.7 .865
Bob Thornton 54 8.3 2.4 0.7 1.0 1.7 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.4 1.6 0.9 2.1 .423 0.0 0.1 .333 0.6 1.1 .533
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton ------- --- ----------

Season 5

LaMelo Ball Bob Thornton
Season -1989-90
Team -Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton 56 10.6 2.2 0.8 1.6 2.4 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.6 1.9 0.9 2.0 .429 0.0 0.1 .333 0.5 0.9 .510
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton 9 9.9 2.1 1.2 0.4 1.7 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.2 2.4 0.8 2.0 .389 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 1.1 .500

Season 6

LaMelo Ball Bob Thornton
Season -1990-91
Team -Minnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Did Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton 12 9.2 1.3 0.1 1.2 1.3 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.8 1.5 0.3 1.1 .308 0.0 0.0 - 0.7 0.8 .800
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton ------- --- ----------

Season 7

LaMelo Ball Bob Thornton
Season -1991-92
Team -Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Jazz Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton 2 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 3.5 .143 0.0 0.0 - 1.0 1.0 1.000
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton 7 4.6 1.0 0.6 0.7 1.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.7 .400 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 0.6 .750

Note: Bob Thornton didn't play in 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1994-95.

Season 8

LaMelo Ball Bob Thornton
Season -1995-96
Team -Washington Bullets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Did Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton 7 4.4 0.4 0.9 0.9 1.7 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 1.0 0.1 0.9 .167 0.0 0.0 - 0.1 0.3 .500
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Bob Thornton ------- --- ----------