LaMelo Ball vs. Kevin Willis Season by Season Comparison
Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kevin Willis 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, 16 less than Kevin Willis, who played 21. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Kevin Willis had his rookie season in 1984-85. 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 Willis |
21 |
11 |
1984-85 to 2006-07 |
Comparison Season by Season |
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Jump to season:
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|
Rookie Season |
|
LaMelo Ball |
Kevin Willis |
| Season |
2020-21 | 1984-85 |
| Team |
Charlotte Hornets | Atlanta Hawks |
| 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: | +31 | +7.0 | +6.4 | +1.0 | +0.5 | +0.5 | +5.7 | +1.2 | +0.2 | -1.5 | -0.1 | +1.8 | +4.8 | +.031 | +1.8 | +5.0 | +.130 | +1.0 | +1.0 | +.101 |
| Kevin Willis |
82 |
21.8 |
9.3 |
2.2 |
4.2 |
6.4 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
1.3 |
2.8 |
3.9 |
8.4 |
.467 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
.222 |
1.5 |
2.2 |
.657 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
| * Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Kevin Willis 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: | +7 | +4.3 | +7.8 | +1.6 | +0.4 | +1.9 | +7.1 | +0.8 | +0.1 | -1.1 | -0.4 | +2.1 | +6.8 | +.088 | +2.9 | +7.4 | +.389 | +0.7 | | +.218 |
| Kevin Willis |
82 |
28.0 |
12.3 |
3.0 |
5.6 |
8.6 |
0.5 |
0.8 |
0.5 |
2.2 |
3.6 |
5.1 |
9.9 |
.517 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
.000 |
2.1 |
3.2 |
.654 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- | - | - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kevin Willis |
9 |
31.1 |
13.9 |
3.4 |
3.8 |
7.2 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
1.7 |
4.2 |
6.1 |
10.9 |
.561 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
1.7 |
2.6 |
.652 |
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: | +45 | +2.8 | +7.2 | +2.8 | +1.2 | +4.1 | +7.6 | +0.5 | +0.5 | -1.5 | -0.6 | +1.6 | +7.6 | +.125 | +4.0 | +10.6 | | | +0.6 | +.127 |
| Kevin Willis |
81 |
32.4 |
16.1 |
4.0 |
6.5 |
10.5 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
2.1 |
3.9 |
6.6 |
12.4 |
.536 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
2.8 |
4.0 |
.709 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- | - | - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kevin Willis |
9 |
39.6 |
15.7 |
3.7 |
5.6 |
9.2 |
0.7 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
1.9 |
3.7 |
6.7 |
12.8 |
.522 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
2.3 |
3.4 |
.677 |
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: | +53 | +4.4 | +12.3 | +1.8 | +0.4 | +2.2 | +7.6 | +0.9 | +0.3 | -2.0 | -0.4 | +3.6 | +10.0 | +.085 | +3.2 | +9.0 | | +2.0 | +1.4 | +.216 |
| Kevin Willis |
75 |
27.9 |
11.6 |
3.1 |
4.2 |
7.3 |
0.4 |
0.9 |
0.5 |
1.8 |
3.2 |
4.7 |
9.2 |
.518 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
2.1 |
3.3 |
.649 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- | - | - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kevin Willis |
12 |
38.5 |
16.2 |
3.0 |
6.0 |
9.0 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
2.1 |
4.3 |
6.7 |
11.5 |
.580 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
.000 |
2.8 |
4.2 |
.680 |
Note: Kevin Willis didn't play in 1988-89.
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: | +34 | +3.9 | +12.8 | +2.1 | +0.9 | +3.1 | +6.7 | +0.3 | +0.3 | -1.8 | -0.1 | +3.4 | +11.4 | +.114 | +3.8 | +11.1 | +.053 | +2.0 | +1.9 | +.160 |
| Kevin Willis |
81 |
28.1 |
12.4 |
3.1 |
4.8 |
8.0 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
0.6 |
1.8 |
3.2 |
5.2 |
9.9 |
.519 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
.286 |
2.1 |
3.0 |
.683 |
|
| Playoffs Stats |
| * Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Kevin Willis played in the postseason in their season 5 |
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Additional Years |
* Kevin Willis played 16 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.
In that period—his seasons 6 to 21, from 1991 to 2007—Kevin Willis played in 8 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship. In those 16 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Kevin Willis got these achievements: |
| Honors & Awards | 1 All-NBA Third Team
1 All-Star Game
|