LaMelo Ball vs. Jim McMillian Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jim McMillian 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, 5 less than Jim McMillian, who played 9. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Jim McMillian had his rookie season in 1970-71. 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
Jim McMillian 9 7 1970-71 to 1978-79

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season 2020-211970-71
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers 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 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
Jim McMillian 81 21.6 8.4 - - 4.1 1.6 - - - 1.5 3.6 7.8 .459 - - - 1.2 1.6 .769
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 12 43.5 15.1 - - 5.4 1.8 - - - 2.3 6.6 15.1 .436 - - - 1.9 2.8 .676

Season 2
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season 2021-221971-72
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
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
Jim McMillian 80 38.1 18.8 - - 6.5 2.6 - - - 2.6 8.0 16.6 .482 - - - 2.7 3.5 .791
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 15 41.6 19.1 - - 5.7 1.5 - - - 2.9 7.5 16.9 .447 - - - 4.0 4.7 .857

Season 3
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season 2022-231972-73
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA Finals
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
Jim McMillian 81 36.5 18.9 - - 5.5 2.7 - - - 2.2 8.1 17.7 .458 - - - 2.8 3.3 .845
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 17 37.1 20.1 - - 4.8 2.2 - - - 2.4 8.4 18.1 .466 - - - 3.2 4.4 .733

Season 4
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season 2023-241973-74
Team Charlotte HornetsBuffalo Braves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayBraves 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 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
Jim McMillian 82 40.5 18.6 2.6 4.8 7.4 3.1 1.6 0.3 - 2.3 7.3 14.8 .494 - - - 4.0 4.6 .858
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 6 37.3 14.5 4.0 4.8 8.8 2.0 0.7 0.2 - 2.3 6.3 15.3 .413 - - - 1.8 2.7 .688

Season 5
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season -1974-75
Team -Buffalo Braves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Braves 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 ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 62 34.4 14.3 2.0 4.2 6.2 2.5 1.1 0.2 - 2.1 5.6 11.2 .499 - - - 3.1 3.7 .840
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 7 34.3 13.0 1.4 3.4 4.9 2.0 1.6 0.3 - 1.7 5.6 12.3 .453 - - - 1.9 2.0 .929

Season 6
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season -1975-76
Team -Buffalo Braves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Braves 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 ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 74 35.3 15.8 1.8 3.5 5.3 2.8 1.2 0.2 - 1.9 6.6 12.4 .536 - - - 2.5 3.0 .858
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 9 38.7 17.2 1.2 2.9 4.1 2.1 1.6 0.4 - 3.2 6.8 14.3 .473 - - - 3.7 4.2 .868

Season 7
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season -1976-77
Team -New York Knicks
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 ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 67 32.2 9.9 1.0 3.6 4.6 2.1 0.9 0.1 - 1.5 4.4 9.6 .464 - - - 1.0 1.3 .779
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------

Season 8
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season -1977-78
Team -New York Knicks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Knicks 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 ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 81 24.4 8.5 1.0 2.6 3.6 2.5 0.9 0.2 1.3 1.4 3.6 7.7 .462 - - - 1.4 1.7 .858
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 6 22.3 8.8 1.5 2.0 3.5 1.8 1.2 0.0 1.2 0.5 4.0 8.8 .453 - - - 0.8 1.0 .833

Season 9
LaMelo Ball Jim McMillian
Season -1978-79
Team -Portland Trail Blazers
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 ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian 23 12.1 3.6 0.7 1.0 1.7 1.4 0.4 0.1 0.7 0.8 1.4 3.2 .446 - - - 0.7 0.9 .810
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Jim McMillian ------- --- ----------
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