Walt Bellamy vs. Arvydas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Arvydas Sabonis and Walt Bellamy, 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.

Walt Bellamy played 14 years in the NBA, 7 more than Arvydas Sabonis, who played 7. Walt Bellamy had the first of his seasons in 1961-62, while Arvydas Sabonis had his rookie season in 1995-96. 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
Walt Bellamy 14 7 1961-62 to 1974-75
Arvydas Sabonis 7 7 1995-96 to 2002-03

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

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

Rookie Season

Walt Bellamy Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1961-621995-96
Team Chicago PackersPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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%
Walt Bellamy 79 42.3 31.6 - - 19.0 2.7 - - - 3.6 12.3 23.7 .519 - - - 6.9 10.8 .644
difference:+6+18.5+17.1+10.9+0.9-0.7+6.9+13.8+.026+3.7+6.6+.113
Arvydas Sabonis 73 23.8 14.5 2.0 6.0 8.1 1.8 0.9 1.1 2.1 2.9 5.4 9.9 .545 0.5 1.4 .375 3.2 4.2 .757
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy DNP------ --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 5 35.4 23.6 2.4 7.8 10.2 1.8 0.8 0.6 2.0 3.4 7.0 16.2 .432 1.0 1.8 .556 8.6 12.0 .717

Season 2

Walt Bellamy Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1962-631996-97
Team Chicago ZephyrsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy 80 41.3 27.9 - - 16.4 2.9 - - - 3.5 10.5 19.9 .527 - - - 6.9 10.3 .674
difference:+11+15.8+14.5+8.5+0.8-0.6+5.7+10.4+.029+3.7+6.1+.103
Arvydas Sabonis 69 25.5 13.4 1.7 6.3 7.9 2.1 0.9 1.2 2.2 2.9 4.8 9.5 .498 0.7 1.9 .371 3.2 4.2 .777
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy DNP------ --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 4 26.8 11.3 2.0 4.5 6.5 2.3 0.8 0.8 2.3 4.8 4.5 10.5 .429 0.5 2.0 .250 1.8 2.0 .875

Season 3

Walt Bellamy Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1963-641997-98
Team Baltimore BulletsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy 80 42.4 27.0 - - 17.0 1.6 - - - 3.8 10.1 19.8 .513 - - - 6.7 10.3 .651
difference:+7+10.4+11.0+7.0+1.4-0.1+4.5+8.5+.020+2.3+4.8+.147
Arvydas Sabonis 73 32.0 16.0 2.0 7.9 10.0 3.0 0.9 1.1 2.6 3.7 5.6 11.3 .493 0.4 1.6 .261 4.4 5.5 .798
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy DNP------ --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 4 26.8 12.3 1.8 6.0 7.8 1.5 1.8 0.8 2.5 4.8 4.5 10.0 .450 0.3 0.5 .500 3.0 3.5 .857

Season 4

Walt Bellamy Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1964-651998-99
Team Baltimore BulletsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Bullets Lost West Div FinalsTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 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%
Walt Bellamy 80 41.3 24.8 - - 14.6 2.4 - - - 3.3 9.2 18.0 .509 - - - 6.4 9.4 .685
difference:+30+14.3+12.7+6.7-0.4+4.6+8.4+.024+3.7+5.9+.086
Arvydas Sabonis 50 27.0 12.1 1.8 6.1 7.9 2.4 0.7 1.3 1.7 2.9 4.6 9.6 .485 0.1 0.5 .292 2.7 3.5 .771
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy 10 42.7 20.9 - - 15.1 3.4 - - - 3.8 7.4 15.8 .468 - - - 6.1 9.2 .663
difference:+3+12.6+10.9+6.3+1.2-1.1+3.9+7.1+.070+3.1+5.9+.244
Arvydas Sabonis 13 30.1 10.0 0.9 7.8 8.8 2.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 2.7 3.5 8.7 .398 0.1 0.4 .200 3.0 3.3 .907

Season 5

Walt Bellamy Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1965-661999-00
Team Baltimore Bullets, New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 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%
Walt Bellamy 80 41.9 22.8 - - 15.7 2.9 - - - 3.7 8.7 17.2 .506 - - - 5.4 8.6 .624
difference:+14+16.3+11.0+7.9+1.1-0.9+4.1+8.1+.001+2.9+5.6+.219
Arvydas Sabonis 66 25.6 11.8 1.5 6.3 7.8 1.8 0.7 1.2 1.5 2.8 4.6 9.1 .505 0.1 0.3 .368 2.5 3.0 .843
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy DNP------ --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 16 30.8 11.3 1.2 5.5 6.7 1.9 0.9 0.8 1.6 3.7 4.3 9.4 .453 0.4 1.3 .286 2.4 3.1 .796

Season 6

Walt Bellamy Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1966-672000-01
Team New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Div SemisTrail Blazers 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%
Walt Bellamy 79 38.1 19.0 - - 13.5 2.6 - - - 3.5 7.2 13.7 .521 - - - 4.7 7.3 .636
difference:+18+16.8+8.9+8.1+1.1-1.3+3.2+5.2+.042+2.7+4.7+.140
Arvydas Sabonis 61 21.3 10.1 0.8 4.6 5.4 1.5 0.7 1.0 1.4 2.2 4.0 8.5 .479 0.0 0.2 .067 2.0 2.6 .776
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy 4 39.3 18.3 - - 16.5 3.0 - - - 3.8 7.0 13.5 .519 - - - 4.3 7.3 .586
difference:+1+4.3+7.0+8.2+0.3-0.2+2.3+3.8+.036+2.3+4.6+.164
Arvydas Sabonis 3 35.0 11.3 2.7 5.7 8.3 2.7 0.3 2.3 0.7 4.0 4.7 9.7 .483 0.0 0.7 .000 2.0 2.7 .750

Note: Arvydas Sabonis didn't play in 2001-02.

Season 7

Walt Bellamy Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1967-682002-03
Team New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Div SemisTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy 82 32.9 16.7 - - 11.7 2.0 - - - 3.2 6.2 11.5 .541 - - - 4.3 6.5 .662
difference:+4+17.4+10.6+7.4+0.2-1.4+4.0+6.9+.065+2.6+4.4+.125
Arvydas Sabonis 78 15.5 6.1 1.1 3.2 4.3 1.8 0.8 0.6 1.0 1.8 2.2 4.6 .476 0.0 0.1 .500 1.7 2.1 .787
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Walt Bellamy 6 46.2 20.0 - - 16.0 3.5 - - - 3.7 7.5 17.8 .421 - - - 5.0 8.0 .625
difference:+31.7+10.0+12.0+2.7-1.4+3.5+11.8+.246+3.0+5.5+.175
Arvydas Sabonis 6 14.5 10.0 1.0 3.0 4.0 0.8 0.7 0.7 1.0 2.3 4.0 6.0 .667 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.5 .800

Additional Years

* Walt Bellamy played 7 seasons more than Arvydas Sabonis in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 8 to 14, from 1969 to 1975—Walt Bellamy played in 4 Playoffs.