LaMelo Ball vs. Julius Erving Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Julius Erving 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, 6 less than Julius Erving, who played 11. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Julius Erving had his rookie season in 1976-77. 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
Julius Erving 11 11 1976-77 to 1986-87

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season
LaMelo Ball Julius Erving
Season 2020-211976-77
Team Charlotte HornetsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers 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%
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+7.1+5.9+1.1+1.4+2.6+2.4+0.3+1.0-0.4+2.7+3.5+.063+2.4+3.1+.019
Julius Erving 82 35.9 21.6 2.3 6.1 8.5 3.7 1.9 1.4 - 3.1 8.4 16.7 .499 - - - 4.9 6.3 .777
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Julius Erving 19 39.9 27.3 2.2 4.3 6.4 4.5 2.2 1.2 - 2.4 10.7 20.5 .523 - - - 5.8 7.1 .821

Season 2
LaMelo Ball Julius Erving
Season 2021-221977-78
Team Charlotte HornetsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Finals
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:+1+0.5+0.5+1.0+1.1+0.2+3.8+0.2+0.9-0.1-0.4+1.1+0.3+.073+1.3+1.7+.027
Julius Erving 74 32.8 20.6 2.4 4.1 6.5 3.8 1.8 1.3 3.2 2.8 8.3 16.4 .502 - - - 4.1 4.9 .845
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Julius Erving 10 35.8 21.8 4.0 5.7 9.7 4.0 1.5 1.8 3.5 3.0 8.8 18.0 .489 - - - 4.2 5.6 .750

Season 3
LaMelo Ball Julius Erving
Season 2022-231978-79
Team Charlotte HornetsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Semis
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:+42+0.7+0.2+1.3+0.6+0.8+3.8+0.4+1.0-0.4-0.6+1.0+1.3+.080+2.0+3.0+.091
Julius Erving 78 35.9 23.1 2.5 4.7 7.2 4.6 1.7 1.3 4.0 2.7 9.2 18.7 .491 - - - 4.8 6.4 .745
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Julius Erving 9 41.3 25.4 3.2 4.6 7.8 5.9 2.0 1.9 4.2 2.4 9.9 19.1 .517 - - - 5.7 7.4 .761

Season 4
LaMelo Ball Julius Erving
Season 2023-241979-80
Team Charlotte HornetsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers 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%
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:+56+3.8+3.0+1.5+0.8+2.3+3.4+0.4+1.6-0.2-0.9+2.4+1.5+.086+3.1+8.7+.155+1.3+2.1+.078
Julius Erving 78 36.1 26.9 2.8 4.6 7.4 4.6 2.2 1.8 3.6 2.7 10.7 20.7 .519 0.1 0.3 .200 5.4 6.8 .787
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Julius Erving 18 38.6 24.4 1.7 5.8 7.6 4.4 2.0 2.1 3.1 3.1 9.2 18.8 .488 0.1 0.5 .222 6.0 7.6 .794

Season 5
LaMelo Ball Julius Erving
Season 2024-251980-81
Team Charlotte HornetsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Finals
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:+35+3.0+0.6+2.0+1.1+3.1+3.0+1.0+1.5-0.4-0.5+1.1+2.7+.116+3.8+11.0+.117+1.0+1.6+.056
Julius Erving 82 35.0 24.6 3.0 5.0 8.0 4.4 2.1 1.8 3.2 2.8 9.7 18.6 .521 0.0 0.2 .222 5.1 6.5 .787
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Julius Erving 16 37.0 22.9 3.3 3.9 7.1 3.4 1.4 2.6 3.4 3.4 8.9 18.8 .475 0.0 0.1 .000 5.1 6.7 .757

Additional Years

* Julius Erving played 6 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 11, from 1982 to 1987—Julius Erving played in 6 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 6 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Julius Erving got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 2 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 6 All-Star Game
Achievement 1 All-Star Game MVP
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