Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Jerry West Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jerry West and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 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.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played 7 years in the NBA, 7 less than Jerry West, who played 14. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had the first of his seasons in 2018-19, while Jerry West had his rookie season in 1960-61. 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
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 7 4 2018-19 to 2024-25
Jerry West 14 13 1960-61 to 1973-74

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7

Rookie Season

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jerry West
Season 2018-191960-61
Team Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Clippers Lost West Conf 1st RdLakers Lost West Div Finals
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 82 26.5 10.8 0.7 2.1 2.8 3.3 1.2 0.5 1.7 2.1 4.2 8.7 .476 0.6 1.7 .367 1.9 2.4 .800
difference:+3+8.9+6.8+4.9+0.9-0.6+2.5+7.3+.057+2.3+3.9+.134
Jerry West 79 35.4 17.6 - - 7.7 4.2 - - - 2.7 6.7 16.0 .419 - - - 4.2 6.3 .666
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 6 28.8 13.7 0.7 2.0 2.7 3.2 1.0 0.8 0.8 2.8 4.7 10.0 .467 1.5 3.0 .500 2.8 3.3 .850
difference:+6+9.6+9.2+6.0+2.1-0.5+3.6+6.8+.023+3.6+5.5+.124
Jerry West 12 38.4 22.9 - - 8.7 5.3 - - - 3.3 8.3 16.8 .490 - - - 6.4 8.8 .726

Season 2

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jerry West
Season 2019-201961-62
Team Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf 1st RdLakers 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%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 70 34.7 19.0 0.7 5.2 5.9 3.3 1.1 0.7 1.9 1.7 6.8 14.5 .471 1.2 3.6 .347 4.1 5.1 .807
difference:+5+6.5+11.8+2.0+2.1-0.6+3.9+9.4+.026+5.4+7.2+.038
Jerry West 75 41.2 30.8 - - 7.9 5.4 - - - 2.3 10.7 23.9 .445 - - - 9.5 12.3 .769
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 7 39.9 16.3 0.4 4.9 5.3 4.1 1.0 0.4 2.1 2.4 5.6 12.9 .433 2.0 5.0 .400 3.1 3.3 .957
difference:+6+2.9+15.2+1.5+0.3-0.5+5.5+10.9+.032+6.2+8.2+.150
Jerry West 13 42.8 31.5 - - 6.8 4.4 - - - 2.9 11.1 23.8 .465 - - - 9.3 11.5 .807

Season 3

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jerry West
Season 2020-211962-63
Team Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 35 33.7 23.7 0.5 4.2 4.7 5.9 0.8 0.7 3.0 2.0 8.2 16.1 .508 2.0 4.9 .418 5.3 6.5 .808
difference:+20+5.6+3.4+2.3+0.3-0.7+2.0+6.0+.047+1.4+2.2+.030
Jerry West 55 39.3 27.1 - - 7.0 5.6 - - - 2.7 10.2 22.1 .461 - - - 6.7 8.7 .778
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander DNP------ --- ----------
Jerry West 13 41.4 27.8 - - 8.2 4.7 - - - 2.6 11.1 22.0 .503 - - - 5.7 7.7 .740

Season 4

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jerry West
Season 2021-221963-64
Team Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost West Div Semis
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 56 34.7 24.5 0.7 4.3 5.0 5.9 1.3 0.8 2.8 2.5 8.5 18.8 .453 1.6 5.3 .300 5.9 7.2 .810
difference:+16+5.7+4.2+1.0+0.3-0.3+1.8+2.4+.031+2.2+2.6+.022
Jerry West 72 40.4 28.7 - - 6.0 5.6 - - - 2.8 10.3 21.2 .484 - - - 8.1 9.8 .832
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander DNP------ --- ----------
Jerry West 5 41.2 31.2 - - 7.2 3.4 - - - 4.0 11.4 23.0 .496 - - - 8.4 10.6 .792

Season 5

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jerry West
Season 2022-231964-65
Team Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First TeamAchievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 68 35.5 31.4 0.9 4.0 4.8 5.5 1.6 1.0 2.8 2.8 10.4 20.3 .510 0.9 2.5 .345 9.8 10.9 .905
difference:+6+5.9+0.4+1.2+0.6-0.2+0.7+2.1+.013+1.0+0.2+.084
Jerry West 74 41.4 31.0 - - 6.0 4.9 - - - 3.0 11.1 22.4 .497 - - - 8.8 10.7 .821
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander DNP------ --- ----------
Jerry West 11 42.7 40.6 - - 5.7 5.3 - - - 3.4 14.1 31.9 .442 - - - 12.5 14.0 .890

Season 6

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jerry West
Season 2023-241965-66
Team Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First TeamAchievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement Steals Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf SemisLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 75 34.0 30.1 0.9 4.7 5.5 6.2 2.0 0.9 2.2 2.5 10.6 19.8 .535 1.3 3.6 .353 7.6 8.7 .874
difference:+4+6.7+1.2+1.6+0.1-0.6+0.2+2.1+.062+3.0+3.7+.014
Jerry West 79 40.7 31.3 - - 7.1 6.1 - - - 3.1 10.4 21.9 .473 - - - 10.6 12.4 .860
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 10 39.9 30.2 0.8 6.4 7.2 6.4 1.3 1.7 2.2 3.1 11.1 22.4 .496 1.6 3.7 .432 6.4 8.1 .790
difference:+4+4.3+4.0+0.9+0.8-0.2+2.1+3.1+.022+1.4+0.8+.082
Jerry West 14 44.2 34.2 - - 6.3 5.6 - - - 2.9 13.2 25.5 .518 - - - 7.8 8.9 .872

Season 7

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jerry West
Season 2024-251966-67
Team Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement Finals MVP-
Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First TeamAchievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement Cup All-Tournament Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionLakers Lost West Div Semis
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 76 34.2 32.7 0.9 4.1 5.0 6.4 1.7 1.0 2.4 2.2 11.3 21.8 .519 2.1 5.7 .375 7.9 8.8 .898
difference:+10+6.3+4.0+0.9+0.4-0.2+1.5+0.8+.055+1.2+1.6+.020
Jerry West 66 40.5 28.7 - - 5.9 6.8 - - - 2.4 9.8 21.0 .464 - - - 9.1 10.4 .878
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 23 37.0 29.9 1.0 4.3 5.3 6.5 1.7 0.9 2.6 2.8 10.1 21.9 .462 1.4 4.9 .283 8.3 9.4 .876
difference:+22+36.0+29.9+4.3+6.5-2.8+10.1+21.9+8.3+9.4
Jerry West 1 1.0 0.0 - - 1.0 0.0 - - - 0.0 0.0 0.0 - - - - 0.0 0.0 -

Additional Years

* Jerry West played 7 seasons more than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 8 to 14, from 1968 to 1974—Jerry West played in 6 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 7 extra years over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerry West got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Finals MVP
Achievement 4 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 2 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 4 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 1 All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement 1 Scoring Leader
Achievement 1 Assists Leader
Achievement 7 All-Star Game
Achievement 1 All-Star Game MVP