LaMelo Ball vs. Shawn Kemp Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Shawn Kemp 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, 9 less than Shawn Kemp, who played 14. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Shawn Kemp had his rookie season in 1989-90. 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
Shawn Kemp 14 10 1989-90 to 2002-03

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season
LaMelo Ball Shawn Kemp
Season 2020-211989-90
Team Charlotte HornetsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
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:+30+15.0+9.2+0.6+2.2+1.6+5.8+1.0+0.5-1.5-0.2+3.2+8.0+.043+1.8+5.0+.185+1.1+1.2+.022
Shawn Kemp 81 13.8 6.5 1.8 2.5 4.3 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.3 2.5 2.5 5.2 .479 0.0 0.1 .167 1.4 2.0 .736
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Shawn Kemp played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
LaMelo Ball Shawn Kemp
Season 2021-221990-91
Team Charlotte HornetsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics 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:+6+2.2+5.1+1.9+0.1+1.7+5.8+0.6+1.1-0.8-0.7+1.5+5.5+.079+2.9+7.4+.222+0.8+2.2+.211
Shawn Kemp 81 30.1 15.0 3.3 5.1 8.4 1.8 1.0 1.5 2.5 3.9 5.7 11.2 .508 0.0 0.1 .167 3.6 5.4 .661
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Shawn Kemp 5 29.8 13.2 2.6 4.6 7.2 1.2 0.6 0.8 3.2 4.0 4.4 11.4 .386 0.0 0.2 .000 4.4 5.4 .815

Season 3
LaMelo Ball Shawn Kemp
Season 2022-231991-92
Team Charlotte HornetsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West 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:+28+6.9+7.8+2.9+1.0+4.0+7.1+0.2+1.6-1.2-0.8+2.5+8.8+.093+4.0+10.6+1.4+2.2+.088
Shawn Kemp 64 28.3 15.5 4.1 6.3 10.4 1.3 1.1 1.9 2.4 4.1 5.7 11.2 .504 0.0 0.0 - 4.2 5.6 .748
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Shawn Kemp 9 37.6 17.4 5.2 7.0 12.2 0.4 0.6 1.6 3.0 4.6 5.3 11.2 .475 0.0 0.0 - 6.8 8.9 .763

Season 4
LaMelo Ball Shawn Kemp
Season 2023-241992-93
Team Charlotte HornetsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf 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+0.8+6.1+2.4+3.2+5.6+6.0+0.3+1.7-1.0-0.6+1.7+5.8+.059+3.2+8.9+.355+0.5+1.7+.153
Shawn Kemp 78 33.1 17.8 3.7 7.0 10.7 2.0 1.5 1.9 2.8 4.2 6.6 13.4 .492 0.0 0.1 .000 4.6 6.4 .712
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Shawn Kemp 19 34.9 16.5 4.2 5.8 10.0 2.6 1.5 2.1 2.8 4.1 5.8 11.3 .512 0.0 0.0 - 4.9 6.1 .809

Season 5
LaMelo Ball Shawn Kemp
Season 2024-251993-94
Team Charlotte HornetsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf 1st Rd
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:+32+0.9+7.1+2.9+2.9+5.9+4.8+0.7+1.8-0.3-0.6+1.9+8.8+.133+3.8+11.1+.089+0.5+1.3+.102
Shawn Kemp 79 32.9 18.1 3.9 6.8 10.8 2.6 1.8 2.1 3.3 3.9 6.7 12.5 .538 0.0 0.1 .250 4.6 6.2 .741
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Shawn Kemp 5 41.2 14.8 4.0 5.8 9.8 3.4 2.0 2.4 2.8 3.6 5.2 14.0 .371 0.0 0.0 - 4.4 6.6 .667

Additional Years

* Shawn Kemp played 9 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 14, from 1995 to 2003—Shawn Kemp played in 6 Playoffs.

In those 9 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Shawn Kemp got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 2 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 4 All-Star Game
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