LaMelo Ball vs. Magic Johnson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Magic 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.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / 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, 8 less than Magic Johnson, who played 13. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Magic Johnson had his rookie season in 1979-80. 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
Magic Johnson 13 13 1979-80 to 1995-96

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season
LaMelo Ball Magic Johnson
Season 2020-211979-80
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Finals MVP
Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
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:+26+7.5+2.3+1.0+0.9+1.8+1.2+0.8+0.1-1.2-0.1+0.8+0.9+.094+1.7+4.7+.126+2.4+2.8+.052
Magic Johnson 77 36.3 18.0 2.2 5.6 7.7 7.3 2.4 0.5 4.0 2.8 6.5 12.3 .530 0.1 0.4 .226 4.9 6.0 .810
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Magic Johnson 16 41.1 18.3 3.3 7.3 10.5 9.4 3.1 0.4 4.1 2.9 6.4 12.4 .518 0.1 0.5 .250 5.3 6.6 .802

Season 2
LaMelo Ball Magic Johnson
Season 2021-221980-81
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Steals Leader
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
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:+38+4.8+1.5+1.3+0.7+1.9+1.0+1.8+0.3-0.6-0.5+1.2+0.8+.103+2.8+7.0+.213+1.8+2.9+.112
Magic Johnson 37 37.1 21.6 2.7 5.9 8.6 8.6 3.4 0.7 3.9 2.7 8.4 15.9 .532 0.1 0.5 .176 4.6 6.1 .760
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Magic Johnson 3 42.3 17.0 2.7 11.0 13.7 7.0 2.7 1.0 3.7 4.7 6.3 16.3 .388 0.0 0.0 - 4.3 6.7 .650

Season 3
LaMelo Ball Magic Johnson
Season 2022-231981-82
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Finals MVP
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement Steals Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
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+3.1+4.7+2.0+1.1+3.2+1.1+1.4+0.1-0.1-0.4+1.1+6.7+.126+3.9+10.2+.169+1.4+2.2+.076
Magic Johnson 78 38.3 18.6 3.2 6.4 9.6 9.5 2.7 0.4 3.7 2.9 7.1 13.3 .537 0.1 0.4 .207 4.2 5.6 .760
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Magic Johnson 14 40.1 17.4 3.9 7.4 11.3 9.3 2.9 0.2 3.1 3.6 5.9 11.2 .529 0.0 0.3 .000 5.5 6.6 .828

Season 4
LaMelo Ball Magic Johnson
Season 2023-241982-83
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Assists Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers 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:+57+4.5+7.1+1.4+2.1+3.5+2.5+0.4+0.4-1.1+1.8+7.4+.115+3.2+8.7+.355+0.3+0.1+.065
Magic Johnson 79 36.8 16.8 2.7 5.9 8.6 10.5 2.2 0.6 3.8 2.5 6.5 11.8 .548 0.0 0.3 .000 3.8 4.8 .800
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Magic Johnson 15 42.9 17.9 3.4 5.1 8.5 12.8 2.3 0.8 4.3 3.3 6.7 13.7 .485 0.0 0.7 .000 4.5 5.4 .840

Season 5
LaMelo Ball Magic Johnson
Season 2024-251983-84
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Assists Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA 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:+20+6.3+7.6+0.5+2.0+2.4+5.7+1.1+0.4-1.0-0.8+2.0+9.7+.160+3.7+10.8+.132+0.2+0.4+.033
Magic Johnson 67 38.3 17.6 1.5 5.9 7.3 13.1 2.2 0.7 4.6 2.5 6.6 11.6 .565 0.1 0.4 .207 4.3 5.3 .810
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Magic Johnson 21 39.9 18.2 1.2 5.4 6.6 13.5 2.0 1.0 3.8 3.4 7.2 13.0 .551 0.0 0.3 .000 3.8 4.8 .800

Additional Years

* Magic Johnson played 8 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 13, from 1985 to 1996—Magic Johnson played in 8 Playoffs and won 3 NBA Championships.

In those 8 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Magic Johnson got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Finals MVP
Achievement 3 Season MVP
Achievement 7 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 2 Assists Leader
Achievement 7 All-Star Game
Achievement 1 All-Star Game MVP
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