RJ Barrett vs. Yao Ming Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Yao Ming 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 5 years in the NBA, 3 less than Yao Ming, who played 8. RJ Barrett had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, 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 achivements, 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 5 2 2019-20 to 2023-24
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11

Comparison Season by Season

Rookie Season

RJ Barrett Yao Ming
Season 2019-202002-03
Team New York KnicksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
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 .500 3.7 4.5 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 2

RJ Barrett Yao Ming
Season 2020-212003-04
Team New York KnicksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Conf 1st RdRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
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 .000 4.4 5.4 .809
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
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

RJ Barrett Yao Ming
Season 2021-222004-05
Team New York KnicksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
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

RJ Barrett Yao Ming
Season 2022-232005-06
Team New York KnicksHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
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 .000 5.9 6.9 .853
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 5

RJ Barrett Yao Ming
Season 2023-242006-07
Team New York Knicks, Toronto RaptorsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
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 .000 7.4 8.6 .862
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
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

Season 6

RJ Barrett Yao Ming
Season -2007-08
Team -Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Did Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming 55 37.2 22.0 3.1 7.7 10.8 2.3 0.5 2.0 3.3 3.1 7.9 15.5 .507 0.0 0.0 .000 6.3 7.4 .850
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 7

RJ Barrett Yao Ming
Season -2008-09
Team -Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Rockets Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming 77 33.6 19.7 2.6 7.2 9.9 1.8 0.4 1.9 3.0 3.3 7.4 13.4 .548 0.0 0.0 1.000 4.9 5.7 .866
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming 9 35.9 17.1 2.1 8.8 10.9 1.0 0.4 1.2 1.9 3.0 6.0 11.0 .545 0.0 0.0 - 5.1 5.7 .902

Note: Yao Ming didn't play in 2009-10.

Season 8

RJ Barrett Yao Ming
Season -2010-11
Team -Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Did Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming 5 18.2 10.2 1.4 4.0 5.4 0.8 0.0 1.6 1.4 2.6 3.6 7.4 .486 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 3.2 .938
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
RJ Barrett ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------