Nate Thurmond vs. Trae Young Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Trae Young and Nate Thurmond, 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.

Nate Thurmond played 14 years in the NBA, 6 more than Trae Young, who played 8. Nate Thurmond had the first of his seasons in 1963-64, while Trae Young had his rookie season in 2018-19. 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.

Rookie Season
	Nate Thurmond	Trae Young
Season	1963-64	2018-19
Team	San Francisco Warriors	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Rookie First Team	All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs	Warriors Lost NBA Finals	Did Not Play

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Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	76	25.9	7.0	-	-	10.4	1.1	-	-	-	2.4	2.9	7.3	.395	-	-	-	1.3	2.3	.549
difference:	+5	+5.0	+12.1			+6.7	+7.0				-0.7	+3.6	+8.2	+.023				+2.9	+2.8	+.280
Trae Young	81	30.9	19.1	0.8	2.9	3.7	8.1	0.9	0.2	3.8	1.7	6.5	15.5	.418	1.9	6.0	.324	4.2	5.1	.829
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	12	34.2	10.0	-	-	12.3	0.8	-	-	-	3.8	3.5	8.0	.438	-	-	-	3.0	4.4	.679
Trae Young	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 2
	Nate Thurmond	Trae Young
Season	1964-65	2019-20
Team	San Francisco Warriors	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Did Not Play

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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		%
Nate Thurmond	77	41.2	16.5	-	-	18.1	2.0	-	-	-	3.0	6.7	16.1	.419	-	-	-	3.1	4.6	.658
difference:	+17	+5.9	+13.1			+13.8	+7.3				-1.3	+2.4	+4.7	+.018				+4.9	+4.7	+.202
Trae Young	60	35.3	29.6	0.5	3.7	4.3	9.3	1.1	0.1	4.8	1.7	9.1	20.8	.437	3.4	9.5	.361	8.0	9.3	.860
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Nate Thurmond nor Trae Young played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3
	Nate Thurmond	Trae Young
Season	1965-66	2020-21
Team	San Francisco Warriors	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Hawks Lost East Conf Finals

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	73	39.6	16.3	-	-	18.0	1.5	-	-	-	3.1	6.2	15.3	.406	-	-	-	3.8	5.9	.654
difference:	+10	+5.9	+9.0			+14.1	+7.9				-1.3	+1.5	+2.4	+.032				+3.9	+2.8	+.232
Trae Young	63	33.7	25.3	0.6	3.3	3.9	9.4	0.8	0.2	4.1	1.8	7.7	17.7	.438	2.2	6.3	.343	7.7	8.7	.886
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trae Young	16	37.7	28.8	0.4	2.4	2.8	9.5	1.3	0.0	4.0	2.2	9.4	22.4	.418	2.8	9.0	.313	7.3	8.4	.866

Season 4
	Nate Thurmond	Trae Young
Season	1966-67	2021-22
Team	San Francisco Warriors	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Warriors Lost NBA Finals	Hawks Lost East Conf 1st Rd

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	65	42.5	18.7	-	-	21.3	2.6	-	-	-	2.8	7.2	16.4	.437	-	-	-	4.3	6.8	.629
difference:	+11	+7.6	+9.7			+17.6	+7.1				-1.1	+2.2	+3.9	+.023				+2.3	+0.5	+.275
Trae Young	76	34.9	28.4	0.7	3.1	3.7	9.7	0.9	0.1	4.0	1.7	9.4	20.3	.460	3.1	8.0	.382	6.6	7.3	.904
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	15	46.0	15.9	-	-	23.1	3.1	-	-	-	3.5	6.2	14.3	.433	-	-	-	3.5	6.1	.571
difference:	+10	+8.8	+0.5			+18.1	+2.9				-0.9	+1.8	+0.5	+.114				+1.7	+0.5	+.217
Trae Young	5	37.2	15.4	1.0	4.0	5.0	6.0	0.6	0.0	6.2	2.6	4.4	13.8	.319	1.4	7.6	.184	5.2	6.6	.788

Season 5
	Nate Thurmond	Trae Young
Season	1967-68	2022-23
Team	San Francisco Warriors	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Hawks Lost East Conf 1st Rd

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	51	43.6	20.5	-	-	22.0	4.2	-	-	-	2.7	7.5	18.2	.411	-	-	-	5.5	8.6	.644
difference:	+22	+8.8	+5.7			+19.0	+6.0				-1.3	+0.7	+0.8	+.018				+2.3	+0.2	+.242
Trae Young	73	34.8	26.2	0.8	2.2	3.0	10.2	1.1	0.1	4.1	1.4	8.2	19.0	.429	2.1	6.3	.335	7.8	8.8	.886
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trae Young	6	38.3	29.2	0.8	2.8	3.7	10.2	1.7	0.7	4.0	1.8	10.0	24.8	.403	3.0	9.0	.333	6.2	7.2	.860

Season 6
	Nate Thurmond	Trae Young
Season	1968-69	2023-24
Team	San Francisco Warriors	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Warriors Lost West Div Semis	Did Not Play

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	71	45.2	21.5	-	-	19.7	3.6	-	-	-	2.4	8.0	19.6	.410	-	-	-	5.4	8.7	.615
difference:	+17	+9.2	+4.2			+16.9	+7.2				-0.4		+0.9	+.020				+1.0	+1.2	+.240
Trae Young	54	36.0	25.7	0.4	2.3	2.8	10.8	1.3	0.2	4.4	2.0	8.0	18.7	.430	3.2	8.7	.373	6.4	7.5	.855
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	6	43.8	16.7	-	-	19.5	4.7	-	-	-	3.0	6.7	17.0	.392	-	-	-	3.3	5.7	.588
Trae Young	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 7
	Nate Thurmond	Trae Young
Season	1969-70	2024-25
Team	San Francisco Warriors	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	-	Assists Leader
	-	Cup All-Tournament Team
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Did Not Play

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7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	43	44.6	21.9	-	-	17.7	3.5	-	-	-	2.6	7.9	19.2	.414	-	-	-	6.1	8.0	.754
difference:	+33	+8.6	+2.3			+14.6	+8.1				-0.7	+0.5	+1.1	+.003				+0.4	+0.6	+.121
Trae Young	76	36.0	24.2	0.5	2.6	3.1	11.6	1.2	0.2	4.7	1.9	7.4	18.1	.411	2.9	8.4	.340	6.5	7.4	.875
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Nate Thurmond nor Trae Young played in the postseason in their season 7

Season 8
	Nate Thurmond	Trae Young
Season	1970-71	2025-26
Team	San Francisco Warriors	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
Playoffs	Warriors Lost West Conf Semis	Did Not Play

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8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	82	40.9	20.0	-	-	13.8	3.1	-	-	-	2.3	7.6	17.1	.445	-	-	-	4.8	6.6	.730
difference:	+77	+13.1	+2.2			+11.8	+4.7				-0.5	+2.4	+3.1	+.074				+1.6	+1.2	+.091
Trae Young	5	27.8	17.8	0.0	2.0	2.0	7.8	0.8	0.2	2.0	1.8	5.2	14.0	.371	1.0	5.2	.192	6.4	7.8	.821
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Nate Thurmond	5	38.4	17.6	-	-	10.2	3.0	-	-	-	4.0	7.2	19.4	.371	-	-	-	3.2	4.0	.800
Trae Young	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Additional Years
* Nate Thurmond played 6 seasons more than Trae Young in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 9 to 14, from 1972 to 1977—Nate Thurmond played in 5 Playoffs. In those 6 extra years over Trae Young, Nate Thurmond got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	3 All-Defensive Second Team 2 All-Star Game