Paolo Banchero vs. Hakeem Olajuwon Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Hakeem Olajuwon and Paolo Banchero, 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 / 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.

Paolo Banchero played 4 years in the NBA, 14 less than Hakeem Olajuwon, who played 18. Paolo Banchero had the first of his seasons in 2022-23, while Hakeem Olajuwon 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
Paolo Banchero 4 2 2022-23 to 2025-26
Hakeem Olajuwon 18 15 1984-85 to 2001-02

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4

Rookie Season
Paolo Banchero Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2022-231984-85
Team Orlando MagicHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Paolo Banchero 72 33.8 20.0 1.2 5.7 6.9 3.7 0.8 0.5 2.8 2.2 6.7 15.6 .427 1.2 4.0 .298 5.5 7.4 .738
difference:+10+1.7+0.6+4.2+0.8+5.0+2.3+0.4+2.2-0.1-2.0+1.6+0.3+.111+1.2+4.0+1.4+0.7+.125
Hakeem Olajuwon 82 35.5 20.6 5.4 6.5 11.9 1.4 1.2 2.7 2.9 4.2 8.3 15.3 .538 0.0 0.0 - 4.1 6.7 .613
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Paolo Banchero DNP------ --- ----------
Hakeem Olajuwon 5 37.4 21.2 6.6 6.4 13.0 1.4 1.4 2.6 2.2 4.4 8.4 17.6 .477 0.0 0.0 - 4.4 9.2 .478

Season 2
Paolo Banchero Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2023-241985-86
Team Orlando MagicHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Magic Lost East Conf 1st RdRockets Lost NBA Finals
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Paolo Banchero 80 35.0 22.6 1.0 5.9 6.9 5.4 0.9 0.6 3.1 1.9 8.0 17.6 .455 1.5 4.4 .339 5.1 7.0 .725
difference:+12+1.3+0.9+3.9+0.7+4.6+3.4+1.1+2.8-0.2-2.1+1.2+0.1+.071+1.5+4.4+0.9+.080
Hakeem Olajuwon 68 36.3 23.5 4.9 6.6 11.5 2.0 2.0 3.4 2.9 4.0 9.2 17.5 .526 0.0 0.0 - 5.1 7.9 .645
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Paolo Banchero 7 37.4 27.0 2.0 6.6 8.6 4.0 1.1 0.6 4.6 2.0 9.7 21.3 .456 2.3 5.7 .400 5.3 7.0 .755
difference:+13+0.9+0.1+3.1+0.2+3.2+2.0+0.9+2.9-2.4-2.4+0.6+1.9+.074+2.3+5.6+.400+1.1+3.0+.117
Hakeem Olajuwon 20 38.3 26.9 5.1 6.8 11.8 2.0 2.0 3.5 2.2 4.4 10.3 19.4 .530 0.0 0.1 .000 6.4 10.0 .638

Season 3
Paolo Banchero Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2024-251986-87
Team Orlando MagicHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Magic Lost East Conf 1st RdRockets 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%
Paolo Banchero 46 34.4 25.9 1.1 6.4 7.5 4.8 0.8 0.6 3.0 2.1 9.0 19.8 .452 1.9 5.9 .320 6.1 8.4 .727
difference:+29+2.4+2.5+3.1+0.8+3.9+1.9+1.1+2.8-1.8+2.0+.056+1.9+5.8+.120+0.8+0.8+.025
Hakeem Olajuwon 75 36.8 23.4 4.2 7.2 11.4 2.9 1.9 3.4 3.0 3.9 9.0 17.8 .508 0.0 0.1 .200 5.3 7.6 .702
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Paolo Banchero 5 39.4 29.4 2.4 6.0 8.4 4.2 0.6 0.8 3.0 3.6 10.8 24.8 .435 2.4 5.4 .444 5.4 8.2 .659
difference:+5+0.5+0.2+1.5+1.4+2.9+1.7+0.7+3.5-0.6-0.8+0.2+6.9+.180+2.4+5.3+.444+1.8+1.5+.083
Hakeem Olajuwon 10 38.9 29.2 3.9 7.4 11.3 2.5 1.3 4.3 3.6 4.4 11.0 17.9 .615 0.0 0.1 .000 7.2 9.7 .742

Season 4
Paolo Banchero Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2025-261987-88
Team Orlando MagicHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Paolo Banchero 6 35.3 22.5 1.2 7.8 9.0 4.0 0.8 1.2 2.5 2.3 7.2 16.5 .434 0.8 3.8 .217 7.3 10.3 .710
difference:+73+0.5+0.3+2.6+0.5+3.1+1.9+1.3+1.5-0.6-1.8+1.8+1.0+.080+0.8+3.7+.217+2.5+3.4+.015
Hakeem Olajuwon 79 35.8 22.8 3.8 8.3 12.1 2.1 2.1 2.7 3.1 4.1 9.0 17.5 .514 0.0 0.1 .000 4.8 6.9 .695
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Paolo Banchero DNP------ --- ----------
Hakeem Olajuwon 4 40.5 37.5 5.0 11.8 16.8 1.8 2.3 2.8 2.3 3.5 14.0 24.5 .571 0.0 0.3 .000 9.5 10.8 .884

Additional Years

* Hakeem Olajuwon played 14 seasons more than Paolo Banchero in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 5 to 18, from 1989 to 2002—Hakeem Olajuwon played in 11 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.

In those 14 extra years over Paolo Banchero, Hakeem Olajuwon got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 2 Finals MVP
Achievement 1 Season MVP
Achievement 4 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 2 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 3 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 3 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 3 All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement 2 Defensive Player of the Year
Achievement 2 Rebounds Leader
Achievement 3 Blocks Leader
Achievement 8 All-Star Game
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