LaMelo Ball vs. Clyde Drexler Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Clyde Drexler 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 / Stats / 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.

LaMelo Ball played 5 years in the NBA, 10 less than Clyde Drexler, who played 15. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Clyde Drexler had his rookie season in 1983-84. 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
LaMelo Ball 5 0 2020-21 to 2024-25
Clyde Drexler 15 15 1983-84 to 1997-98

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season
LaMelo Ball Clyde Drexler
Season 2020-211983-84
Team Charlotte HornetsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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
difference:+31+11.6+8.0+0.2+3.2+3.0+4.2+0.3-1.3-0.2+2.6+6.4+.015+1.8+5.1+1.0+1.1+.030
Clyde Drexler 82 17.2 7.7 1.4 1.5 2.9 1.9 1.3 0.4 1.5 2.5 3.1 6.8 .451 0.0 0.0 - 1.5 2.1 .728
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Clyde Drexler 5 17.0 7.2 1.4 2.0 3.4 1.6 1.0 0.2 1.4 2.2 3.0 7.0 .429 0.0 0.2 .000 1.2 1.4 .857

Season 2
LaMelo Ball Clyde Drexler
Season 2021-221984-85
Team Charlotte HornetsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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
difference:+5+0.4+2.9+1.3+2.0+0.7+2.1+0.6+0.5-0.5-0.1+2.2+.065+2.8+7.0+.173+0.5+.113
Clyde Drexler 80 31.9 17.2 2.7 3.2 6.0 5.5 2.2 0.9 2.8 3.3 7.2 14.5 .494 0.1 0.5 .216 2.8 3.7 .759
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Clyde Drexler 9 37.7 16.7 3.0 3.1 6.1 9.2 2.6 1.0 3.2 4.1 6.1 14.9 .410 0.2 0.8 .286 4.2 5.0 .844

Season 3
LaMelo Ball Clyde Drexler
Season 2022-231985-86
Team Charlotte HornetsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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
difference:+39+0.9+4.8+1.1+2.0+0.8+0.4+1.3+0.3-0.2-0.3+1.0+4.8+.064+3.8+9.8+.176+1.1+1.7+.067
Clyde Drexler 75 34.3 18.5 2.3 3.3 5.6 8.0 2.6 0.6 3.8 3.6 7.2 15.2 .475 0.2 0.8 .200 3.9 5.1 .769
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Clyde Drexler 4 36.3 18.0 2.3 4.0 6.3 6.5 1.5 0.8 4.8 4.8 6.5 14.3 .456 0.5 1.3 .400 4.5 5.8 .783

Season 4
LaMelo Ball Clyde Drexler
Season 2023-241986-87
Team Charlotte HornetsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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%
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
difference:+60+5.7+2.2+1.5+0.3+1.2+1.1+0.7+0.7-0.7-0.2+0.3+2.0+.069+3.1+8.4+.121+0.3+1.0+.105
Clyde Drexler 82 38.0 21.7 2.8 3.5 6.3 6.9 2.5 0.9 3.1 3.4 8.6 17.2 .502 0.1 0.6 .234 4.4 5.7 .760
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Clyde Drexler 4 38.3 24.0 4.0 3.5 7.5 3.8 1.8 0.8 1.5 4.0 9.0 19.8 .456 0.3 1.0 .250 5.8 7.3 .793

Season 5
LaMelo Ball Clyde Drexler
Season 2024-251987-88
Team Charlotte HornetsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball 47 32.0 25.2 1.0 3.9 4.9 7.4 1.1 0.3 3.6 3.3 8.6 21.3 .405 3.8 11.2 .339 4.1 4.9 .843
difference:+34+5.8+1.8+2.2+0.5+1.7+1.6+1.4+0.3-0.7-0.2+1.9+0.6+.101+3.7+10.6+.127+1.8+2.3+.032
Clyde Drexler 81 37.8 27.0 3.2 3.4 6.6 5.8 2.5 0.6 2.9 3.1 10.5 20.7 .506 0.1 0.6 .212 5.9 7.2 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Clyde Drexler 4 42.5 22.0 3.0 4.0 7.0 5.3 3.0 0.5 3.0 3.5 8.0 20.8 .386 0.8 1.5 .500 5.3 7.3 .724

Additional Years

* Clyde Drexler played 10 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 15, from 1989 to 1998—Clyde Drexler played in 10 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 10 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Clyde Drexler got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 2 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 8 All-Star Game
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