LaMelo Ball vs. Yao Ming Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Yao Ming 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, 3 less than Yao Ming, who played 8. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Yao Ming had his rookie season in 2002-03. 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
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season
LaMelo Ball Yao Ming
Season 2020-212002-03
Team Charlotte HornetsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
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:+31+0.2+2.2+1.2+1.1+2.3+4.4+1.2+1.4-0.7-0.1+0.8+3.4+.062+1.8+5.1+1.2+1.3+.053
Yao Ming 82 29.0 13.5 2.4 5.8 8.2 1.7 0.4 1.8 2.1 2.8 4.9 9.8 .498 0.0 0.0 - 3.7 4.5 .811
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
LaMelo Ball Yao Ming
Season 2021-222003-04
Team Charlotte HornetsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets 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:+7+0.5+2.6+1.0+1.4+2.3+6.1+1.3+1.5-0.8-0.1+0.7+4.2+.093+2.9+7.5+1.6+2.2+.063
Yao Ming 82 32.8 17.5 2.4 6.6 9.0 1.5 0.3 1.9 2.5 3.3 6.5 12.5 .522 0.0 0.0 - 4.4 5.4 .809
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Yao Ming 5 37.6 15.0 2.2 5.2 7.4 1.8 0.4 1.4 2.6 4.0 6.2 13.6 .456 0.0 0.0 - 2.6 3.4 .765

Season 3
LaMelo Ball Yao Ming
Season 2022-232004-05
Team Charlotte HornetsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
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:+44+4.6+5.0+1.4+0.5+2.0+7.6+0.9+1.7-1.1-0.4+1.5+7.8+.141+4.0+10.6+2.1+2.8+.053
Yao Ming 80 30.6 18.3 2.6 5.8 8.4 0.8 0.4 2.0 2.5 3.7 6.7 12.2 .552 0.0 0.0 - 4.9 6.2 .783
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Yao Ming 7 31.9 21.4 3.3 4.4 7.7 0.7 0.3 2.7 2.7 4.4 7.9 12.0 .655 0.0 0.0 - 5.7 7.9 .727

Season 4
LaMelo Ball Yao Ming
Season 2023-242005-06
Team Charlotte HornetsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
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:+35+1.9+1.6+1.3+3.8+5.1+6.5+1.3+1.4-1.2-0.2+0.1+3.4+.086+3.2+9.0+1.8+2.2+.012
Yao Ming 57 34.2 22.3 2.6 7.6 10.2 1.5 0.5 1.6 2.6 3.4 8.2 15.8 .519 0.0 0.0 - 5.9 6.9 .853
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5
LaMelo Ball Yao Ming
Season 2024-252006-07
Team Charlotte HornetsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets 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:+1+1.8+0.2+1.1+3.4+4.5+5.4+0.7+1.7-0.1+0.2+4.2+.111+3.8+11.2+3.3+3.7+.019
Yao Ming 48 33.8 25.0 2.1 7.3 9.4 2.0 0.4 2.0 3.5 3.3 8.8 17.1 .516 0.0 0.0 - 7.4 8.6 .862
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Yao Ming 7 37.1 25.1 3.3 7.0 10.3 0.9 0.1 0.7 4.7 3.9 7.9 17.9 .440 0.0 0.0 - 9.4 10.7 .880

Additional Years

* Yao Ming played 3 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 8, from 2008 to 2011—Yao Ming played in one postseason.

In those 3 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Yao Ming got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 3 All-Star Game
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