LaMelo Ball vs. Kevin Johnson Season by Season Comparison
Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kevin Johnson 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.
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, 7 less than Kevin Johnson, who played 12. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Kevin Johnson had his rookie season in 1987-88. 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 |
| Kevin Johnson |
12 |
11 |
1987-88 to 1999-00 |
Comparison Season by Season |
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Jump to season:
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|
|
Rookie Season |
|
LaMelo Ball |
Kevin Johnson |
| Season |
2020-21 | 1987-88 |
| Team |
Charlotte Hornets | Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns |
| Honors & Awards |
 Rookie of the Year | - |
| All-Rookie First Team | - |
| Playoffs |
Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison |
| 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 |
| difference: | +29 | +4.8 | +6.5 | +0.7 | +2.8 | +3.5 | +0.6 | +0.3 | +0.1 | -1.0 | -0.8 | +2.3 | +5.7 | +.025 | +1.7 | +4.8 | +.144 | +0.3 | +0.6 | +.081 |
| Kevin Johnson |
80 |
24.0 |
9.2 |
0.5 |
1.9 |
2.4 |
5.5 |
1.3 |
0.3 |
1.8 |
1.9 |
3.4 |
7.5 |
.461 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
.208 |
2.2 |
2.6 |
.839 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
| * Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Kevin Johnson played in the postseason in their season 1 |
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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 | % |
| 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: | +6 | +6.9 | +0.3 | +0.8 | +1.6 | +2.5 | +4.6 | +0.1 | +0.1 | -0.7 | -0.4 | +0.2 | +2.8 | +.076 | +2.9 | +7.2 | +.298 | +3.5 | +3.9 | +.010 |
| Kevin Johnson |
81 |
39.2 |
20.4 |
0.6 |
3.6 |
4.2 |
12.2 |
1.7 |
0.3 |
4.0 |
2.8 |
7.0 |
13.9 |
.505 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
.091 |
6.3 |
7.1 |
.882 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- | - | - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kevin Johnson |
12 |
41.2 |
23.8 |
1.0 |
3.3 |
4.3 |
12.3 |
1.6 |
0.4 |
4.6 |
2.3 |
7.5 |
15.2 |
.495 |
0.3 |
0.8 |
.300 |
8.5 |
9.2 |
.927 |
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison |
| 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 |
| difference: | +38 | +2.4 | +0.8 | +0.6 | +2.2 | +2.8 | +3.0 | | +0.1 | | -1.4 | +0.4 | +4.3 | +.088 | +3.9 | +10.0 | +.181 | +4.0 | +4.7 | +.002 |
| Kevin Johnson |
74 |
37.6 |
22.5 |
0.6 |
3.1 |
3.6 |
11.4 |
1.3 |
0.2 |
3.6 |
1.9 |
7.8 |
15.7 |
.499 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
.195 |
6.8 |
8.1 |
.838 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- | - | - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kevin Johnson |
16 |
36.4 |
21.3 |
0.6 |
2.8 |
3.3 |
10.6 |
1.6 |
0.0 |
3.9 |
1.8 |
7.7 |
16.1 |
.479 |
0.1 |
0.7 |
.182 |
5.8 |
7.0 |
.821 |
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison |
| 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 |
| difference: | +55 | +3.7 | +1.7 | +0.6 | +1.0 | +1.6 | +2.1 | +0.3 | +0.1 | -0.3 | -1.3 | +0.6 | +4.3 | +.083 | +3.1 | +8.4 | +.150 | +2.6 | +3.3 | +.022 |
| Kevin Johnson |
77 |
36.0 |
22.2 |
0.7 |
2.8 |
3.5 |
10.1 |
2.1 |
0.1 |
3.5 |
2.3 |
7.7 |
14.9 |
.516 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
.205 |
6.7 |
8.0 |
.843 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- | - | - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kevin Johnson |
4 |
36.5 |
12.8 |
0.5 |
2.8 |
3.3 |
9.8 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
3.0 |
2.3 |
4.0 |
13.3 |
.302 |
0.3 |
1.8 |
.143 |
4.5 |
7.5 |
.600 |
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison |
| Regular Season Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
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: | +31 | +5.2 | +5.5 | +0.2 | +0.9 | +1.2 | +3.3 | +0.4 | | -0.1 | -1.0 | +1.7 | +6.9 | +.074 | +3.7 | +10.6 | +.122 | +1.6 | +2.2 | +.036 |
| Kevin Johnson |
78 |
37.2 |
19.7 |
0.8 |
3.0 |
3.7 |
10.7 |
1.5 |
0.3 |
3.5 |
2.3 |
6.9 |
14.4 |
.479 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
.217 |
5.7 |
7.1 |
.807 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- | - | - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kevin Johnson |
8 |
41.9 |
23.6 |
1.0 |
3.1 |
4.1 |
11.6 |
1.5 |
0.3 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
7.8 |
16.0 |
.484 |
0.4 |
0.8 |
.500 |
7.8 |
9.0 |
.861 |
|
Additional Years |
* Kevin Johnson played 7 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.
In that period—his seasons 6 to 12, from 1993 to 2000—Kevin Johnson played in 7 Playoffs. In those 7 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Kevin Johnson got these achievements: |
| Honors & Awards | 1 All-NBA Second Team
1 All-Star Game
|