RJ Barrett vs. Hakeem Olajuwon Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Hakeem Olajuwon and RJ Barrett, 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

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.

RJ Barrett played 6 years in the NBA, 12 less than Hakeem Olajuwon, who played 18. RJ Barrett had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, 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
RJ Barrett 6 2 2019-20 to 2024-25
Hakeem Olajuwon 18 15 1984-85 to 2001-02

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season

RJ Barrett Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2019-201984-85
Team New York KnicksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
-Achievement 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%
RJ Barrett 56 30.4 14.3 0.9 4.1 5.0 2.6 1.0 0.3 2.2 2.2 5.2 13.0 .402 1.1 3.5 .320 2.8 4.5 .614
difference:+26+5.1+6.3+4.5+2.4+6.9+1.2+0.2+2.4-0.7-2.0+3.1+2.3+.136+1.1+3.5+1.3+2.2+.001
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%
RJ Barrett 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

RJ Barrett Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2020-211985-86
Team New York KnicksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks 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%
RJ Barrett 72 34.9 17.6 0.9 4.8 5.8 3.0 0.7 0.3 1.9 2.6 6.5 14.7 .441 1.7 4.3 .401 2.9 3.8 .746
difference:+4+1.4+5.9+4.0+1.8+5.7+1.0+1.3+3.1-1.0-1.4+2.7+2.8+.085+1.7+4.3+2.2+4.1+.101
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%
RJ Barrett 5 32.4 14.4 0.8 6.4 7.2 3.0 0.8 0.4 0.4 2.2 5.2 13.4 .388 1.6 5.6 .286 2.4 3.0 .800
difference:+15+5.9+12.5+4.3+0.4+4.6+1.0+1.2+3.1-1.8-2.2+5.1+6.0+.142+1.6+5.5+.286+4.0+7.0+.162
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

RJ Barrett Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2021-221986-87
Team New York KnicksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets 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%
RJ Barrett 70 34.5 20.0 0.9 4.9 5.8 3.0 0.6 0.2 2.2 2.0 7.0 17.1 .408 2.0 5.8 .342 4.1 5.8 .714
difference:+5+2.3+3.4+3.3+2.3+5.6+0.1+1.3+3.2-0.8-1.9+2.0+0.7+.100+2.0+5.7+.142+1.2+1.8+.012
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%
RJ Barrett DNP------ --- ----------
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

RJ Barrett Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2022-231987-88
Team New York KnicksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Conf SemisRockets 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%
RJ Barrett 73 33.9 19.6 0.8 4.2 5.0 2.8 0.4 0.2 2.2 2.5 7.0 16.1 .434 1.7 5.3 .310 4.0 5.4 .740
difference:+6+1.9+3.2+3.0+4.1+7.1+0.7+1.7+2.5-0.9-1.6+2.0+1.4+.080+1.7+5.2+.310+0.8+1.5+.045
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%
RJ Barrett 11 34.3 19.3 0.5 4.0 4.5 2.8 0.8 0.2 2.3 2.3 6.5 14.9 .433 1.8 5.5 .328 4.5 5.9 .769
difference:+7+6.2+18.2+4.5+7.8+12.3+1.0+1.5+2.6-1.2+7.5+9.6+.138+1.8+5.2+.328+5.0+4.9+.115
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

Season 5

RJ Barrett Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2023-241988-89
Team New York Knicks, Toronto RaptorsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
-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%
RJ Barrett 58 31.7 20.2 0.9 4.5 5.4 3.3 0.5 0.4 2.2 2.2 7.5 15.2 .495 1.6 4.3 .360 3.6 5.0 .715
difference:+24+5.2+4.6+3.2+4.9+8.1+1.5+2.1+3.0-1.2-1.8+2.1+3.8+.013+1.6+4.2+.360+1.9+3.0+.019
Hakeem Olajuwon 82 36.9 24.8 4.1 9.4 13.5 1.8 2.6 3.4 3.4 4.0 9.6 19.0 .508 0.0 0.1 .000 5.5 8.0 .696
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett DNP------ --- ----------
Hakeem Olajuwon 4 40.5 25.3 3.5 9.5 13.0 3.0 2.5 2.8 2.5 4.3 10.5 20.3 .519 0.0 0.0 - 4.3 6.3 .680

Season 6

RJ Barrett Hakeem Olajuwon
Season 2024-251989-90
Team Toronto RaptorsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement Rebounds Leader
-Achievement Blocks Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett 58 32.2 21.1 1.1 5.3 6.3 5.4 0.8 0.3 2.8 2.4 7.9 16.9 .468 1.8 5.3 .350 3.4 5.4 .630
difference:+24+5.9+3.2+2.5+5.1+7.7+2.5+1.3+4.3-1.1-1.4+1.9+2.7+.033+1.8+5.2+.183+1.3+1.1+.083
Hakeem Olajuwon 82 38.1 24.3 3.6 10.4 14.0 2.9 2.1 4.6 3.9 3.8 9.8 19.6 .501 0.0 0.1 .167 4.7 6.5 .713
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett DNP------ --- ----------
Hakeem Olajuwon 4 40.3 18.5 3.8 7.8 11.5 2.0 2.5 5.8 2.8 4.8 7.8 17.5 .443 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 4.3 .706

Additional Years

* Hakeem Olajuwon played 12 seasons more than RJ Barrett in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 18, from 1991 to 2002—Hakeem Olajuwon played in 9 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.

In those 12 extra years over RJ Barrett, Hakeem Olajuwon got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 2 Finals MVP
Achievement 1 Season MVP
Achievement 3 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 3 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 2 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 3 All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement 2 Defensive Player of the Year
Achievement 2 Blocks Leader
Achievement 6 All-Star Game