Steve Francis vs. Rajon Rondo Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Rajon Rondo and Steve Francis, 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 Rankings / Games against each other

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.

Steve Francis played 9 years in the NBA, 7 less than Rajon Rondo, who played 16. Steve Francis had the first of his seasons in 1999-00, while Rajon Rondo had his rookie season in 2006-07. 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
Steve Francis 9 1 1999-00 to 2007-08
Rajon Rondo 16 10 2006-07 to 2021-22

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 1999-002006-07
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
-Achievement All-Rookie Second Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 77 36.1 18.0 2.0 3.3 5.3 6.6 1.5 0.4 4.0 3.0 6.5 14.5 .445 1.4 4.0 .345 3.7 4.7 .786
difference:+1+12.6+11.6+1.1+0.5+1.6+2.8+0.1+0.3-2.2-0.7+4.1+8.7+.027+1.3+3.6+.138+2.2+2.3+.139
Rajon Rondo 78 23.5 6.4 0.9 2.8 3.7 3.8 1.6 0.1 1.8 2.3 2.4 5.8 .418 0.1 0.4 .207 1.5 2.4 .647
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Steve Francis nor Rajon Rondo played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 2000-012007-08
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 80 39.9 19.9 2.4 4.5 6.9 6.5 1.8 0.4 3.3 3.4 6.9 15.2 .451 1.7 4.2 .396 4.5 5.5 .817
difference:+3+10.0+9.3+1.4+1.3+2.7+1.4+0.1+0.2-1.4-1.0+2.3+5.9+.041+1.6+4.0+.133+3.1+3.2+.206
Rajon Rondo 77 29.9 10.6 1.0 3.2 4.2 5.1 1.7 0.2 1.9 2.4 4.6 9.3 .492 0.1 0.2 .263 1.4 2.3 .611
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Rajon Rondo 26 32.0 10.2 1.5 2.6 4.1 6.6 1.7 0.3 1.8 2.8 4.1 10.1 .407 0.2 0.8 .250 1.8 2.6 .691

Season 3

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 2001-022008-09
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East 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%
Steve Francis 57 41.1 21.6 1.8 5.2 7.0 6.4 1.2 0.4 3.9 3.0 7.4 17.7 .417 1.2 3.7 .324 5.7 7.4 .773
difference:+23+8.1+9.7+0.5+1.2+1.8+1.8+0.7+0.3-1.3-0.6+2.6+8.2+.088+1.0+3.1+.011+3.5+4.0+.131
Rajon Rondo 80 33.0 11.9 1.3 4.0 5.2 8.2 1.9 0.1 2.6 2.4 4.8 9.5 .505 0.2 0.6 .313 2.2 3.4 .642
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Rajon Rondo 14 41.2 16.9 2.3 7.4 9.7 9.8 2.5 0.2 2.7 3.4 6.6 15.9 .417 0.4 1.7 .250 3.1 4.8 .657

Season 4

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 2002-032009-10
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement Steals Leader
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 81 41.0 21.0 2.0 4.2 6.2 6.2 1.7 0.5 3.7 3.1 7.0 16.2 .435 1.0 3.0 .354 5.9 7.3 .800
difference:+4.4+7.3+0.8+1.0+1.8+3.6+0.6+0.4-0.7-0.7+1.3+5.0+.073+0.8+2.0+.141+3.7+3.8+.179
Rajon Rondo 81 36.6 13.7 1.2 3.2 4.4 9.8 2.3 0.1 3.0 2.4 5.7 11.2 .508 0.2 1.0 .213 2.2 3.5 .621
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Rajon Rondo 24 40.6 15.8 1.6 4.0 5.6 9.3 1.9 0.1 3.0 2.4 6.3 13.6 .463 0.4 1.0 .375 2.8 4.8 .596

Season 5

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 2003-042010-11
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdCeltics Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 79 40.4 16.6 1.5 4.0 5.5 6.2 1.8 0.4 3.7 3.3 5.7 14.1 .403 0.9 3.2 .292 4.3 5.5 .775
difference:+11+3.2+6.0+0.2+0.9+1.1+5.0+0.5+0.2-0.3-1.5+1.0+4.2+.072+0.8+2.6+.059+3.2+3.6+.207
Rajon Rondo 68 37.2 10.6 1.3 3.1 4.4 11.2 2.3 0.2 3.4 1.8 4.7 9.9 .475 0.1 0.6 .233 1.1 1.9 .568
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 5 44.6 19.2 1.2 7.2 8.4 7.6 1.4 0.2 4.2 3.6 6.0 14.0 .429 1.4 3.4 .412 5.8 8.0 .725
difference:+4+6.3+5.2+3.0+3.0+2.0+0.3+0.2-0.5-1.8+0.3+2.1+.048+1.4+3.1+.412+3.1+3.8+.093
Rajon Rondo 9 38.3 14.0 1.2 4.2 5.4 9.6 1.1 0.0 3.7 1.8 5.7 11.9 .477 0.0 0.3 .000 2.7 4.2 .632

Season 6

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 2004-052011-12
Team Orlando MagicBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
-Achievement Assists Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf 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%
Steve Francis 78 38.2 21.3 1.6 4.2 5.8 7.0 1.4 0.4 4.1 3.5 7.2 17.1 .423 0.5 1.6 .299 6.4 7.8 .823
difference:+25+1.3+9.4+0.4+0.5+1.0+4.7+0.4+0.3-0.5-1.6+2.4+6.3+.025+0.3+0.8+.061+4.4+4.4+.226
Rajon Rondo 53 36.9 11.9 1.2 3.7 4.8 11.7 1.8 0.1 3.6 1.9 4.8 10.8 .448 0.2 0.8 .238 2.0 3.4 .597
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Rajon Rondo 19 42.6 17.3 1.8 4.9 6.7 11.9 2.4 0.1 3.8 2.1 7.4 15.8 .468 0.4 1.6 .267 2.1 2.9 .696

Season 7

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 2005-062012-13
Team Orlando Magic, New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement Assists Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 70 34.2 14.4 1.1 3.1 4.1 4.9 1.1 0.2 3.1 2.9 4.8 10.9 .435 0.4 1.2 .301 4.5 5.7 .787
difference:+32+3.2+0.7+1.3+1.5+6.2+0.7-0.8-0.4+1.1+1.3+.049+0.1+0.1+.061+2.9+3.3+.142
Rajon Rondo 38 37.4 13.7 1.1 4.4 5.6 11.1 1.8 0.2 3.9 2.5 5.9 12.2 .484 0.3 1.3 .240 1.6 2.4 .645
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Steve Francis nor Rajon Rondo played in the postseason in their season 7

Season 8

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 2006-072013-14
Team New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 44 28.1 11.3 0.8 2.8 3.6 3.9 0.9 0.3 2.3 2.9 3.2 7.8 .408 1.0 2.5 .378 4.0 4.8 .829
difference:+14+5.2+0.4+0.1+1.9+1.9+5.9+0.4+0.2-1.0-0.7+1.5+3.9+.005+0.1+0.5+.089+2.6+2.6+.202
Rajon Rondo 30 33.3 11.7 0.7 4.7 5.5 9.8 1.3 0.1 3.3 2.2 4.7 11.7 .403 0.9 3.0 .289 1.4 2.2 .627
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Steve Francis nor Rajon Rondo played in the postseason in their season 8

Season 9

Steve Francis Rajon Rondo
Season 2007-082014-15
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayMavericks Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 10 19.9 5.5 0.8 1.5 2.3 3.0 0.9 0.5 1.4 2.5 1.9 5.7 .333 0.4 1.7 .235 1.3 2.3 .565
difference:+58+9.8+3.4+0.3+2.9+3.2+4.9+0.4+0.4-1.7-0.2+2.1+3.8+.093+0.4+.079+0.8+1.2+.168
Rajon Rondo 68 29.7 8.9 1.1 4.4 5.5 7.9 1.3 0.1 3.1 2.3 4.0 9.5 .426 0.4 1.3 .314 0.5 1.1 .397
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Rajon Rondo 2 18.5 9.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 3.0 4.5 10.0 .450 0.5 1.0 .500 0.0 0.0 -

Additional Years

* Rajon Rondo played 7 seasons more than Steve Francis in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 10 to 16, from 2016 to 2022—Rajon Rondo played in 4 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 7 extra years over Steve Francis, Rajon Rondo got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Assists Leader