Wilt Chamberlain vs. Yao Ming Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Yao Ming and Wilt Chamberlain, 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.

Wilt Chamberlain played 14 years in the NBA, 6 more than Yao Ming, who played 8. Wilt Chamberlain had the first of his seasons in 1959-60, 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 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
Wilt Chamberlain 14 13 1959-60 to 1972-73
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

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

Rookie Season
Wilt Chamberlain Yao Ming
Season 1959-602002-03
Team Philadelphia WarriorsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Rookie of the Year-
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Achievement All-Star Game MVP-
Playoffs Warriors Lost East Div FinalsDid 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%
Wilt Chamberlain 72 46.4 37.6 - - 27.0 2.3 - - - 2.1 14.8 32.1 .461 - - - 8.0 13.8 .582
difference:+10+17.4+24.1+18.8+0.6-0.7+9.9+22.3+.037+4.3+9.3+.229
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 - 3.7 4.5 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 9 46.1 33.2 - - 25.8 2.1 - - - 1.9 13.9 28.0 .496 - - - 5.4 12.2 .445
Yao Ming DNP------ --- ----------

Season 2
Wilt Chamberlain Yao Ming
Season 1960-612003-04
Team Philadelphia WarriorsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Warriors Lost East Div SemisRockets 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%
Wilt Chamberlain 79 47.8 38.4 - - 27.2 1.9 - - - 1.6 15.8 31.1 .509 - - - 6.7 13.3 .504
difference:+3+15.0+20.9+18.2+0.4-1.7+9.3+18.6+.013+2.3+7.9+.305
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 - 4.4 5.4 .809
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 3 48.0 37.0 - - 23.0 2.0 - - - 3.3 15.0 32.0 .469 - - - 7.0 12.7 .553
difference:+2+10.4+22.0+15.6+0.2-0.7+8.8+18.4+.013+4.4+9.3+.212
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
Wilt Chamberlain Yao Ming
Season 1961-622004-05
Team Philadelphia WarriorsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Warriors Lost East Div FinalsRockets 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%
Wilt Chamberlain 80 48.5 50.4 - - 25.7 2.4 - - - 1.5 20.0 39.5 .506 - - - 10.4 17.0 .613
difference:+17.9+32.1+17.3+1.6-2.2+13.3+27.3+.046+5.5+10.8+.170
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 TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 12 48.0 35.0 - - 26.6 3.1 - - - 2.3 13.5 28.9 .467 - - - 8.0 12.6 .636
difference:+5+16.1+13.6+18.9+2.4-2.1+5.6+16.9+.188+2.3+4.7+.091
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
Wilt Chamberlain Yao Ming
Season 1962-632005-06
Team San Francisco WarriorsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 80 47.6 44.8 - - 24.3 3.4 - - - 1.7 18.3 34.6 .528 - - - 8.3 13.9 .593
difference:+23+13.4+22.5+14.1+1.9-1.7+10.1+18.8+.009+2.4+7.0+.260
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 - 5.9 6.9 .853
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Wilt Chamberlain nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5
Wilt Chamberlain Yao Ming
Season 1963-642006-07
Team San Francisco WarriorsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Warriors Lost NBA FinalsRockets 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%
Wilt Chamberlain 80 46.1 36.9 - - 22.3 5.0 - - - 2.3 15.1 28.7 .524 - - - 6.8 12.7 .531
difference:+32+12.3+11.9+12.9+3.0-1.0+6.3+11.6+.008+0.6+4.1+.331
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 - 7.4 8.6 .862
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 12 46.5 34.7 - - 25.2 3.3 - - - 2.3 14.6 26.8 .543 - - - 5.5 11.6 .475
difference:+5+9.4+9.6+14.9+2.4-1.6+6.7+8.9+.103+3.9+0.9+.405
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
Wilt Chamberlain Yao Ming
Season 1964-652007-08
Team San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs 76ers Lost East Div FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 73 45.2 34.7 - - 22.9 3.4 - - - 2.0 14.6 28.5 .510 - - - 5.6 12.1 .464
difference:+18+8.0+12.7+12.1+1.1-1.1+6.7+13.0+.003+0.7+4.7+.386
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 - 6.3 7.4 .850
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 11 48.7 29.3 - - 27.2 4.4 - - - 2.6 11.2 21.1 .530 - - - 6.9 12.4 .559
Yao Ming DNP------ --- ----------

Season 7
Wilt Chamberlain Yao Ming
Season 1965-662008-09
Team Philadelphia 76ersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs 76ers Lost East Div FinalsRockets Lost West Conf 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%
Wilt Chamberlain 79 47.3 33.5 - - 24.6 5.2 - - - 2.2 13.6 25.2 .540 - - - 6.3 12.4 .513
difference:+2+13.7+13.8+14.7+3.4-1.1+6.2+11.8+.008+1.4+6.7+.353
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 - 4.9 5.7 .866
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 5 48.0 28.0 - - 30.2 3.0 - - - 2.0 11.2 22.0 .509 - - - 5.6 13.6 .412
difference:+4+12.1+10.9+19.3+2.0-1.0+5.2+11.0+.036+0.5+7.9+.490
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
Wilt Chamberlain Yao Ming
Season 1966-672010-11
Team Philadelphia 76ersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid 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%
Wilt Chamberlain 81 45.5 24.1 - - 24.2 7.8 - - - 1.8 9.7 14.2 .683 - - - 4.8 10.8 .441
difference:+76+27.3+13.9+18.8+7.0-0.8+6.1+6.8+.197+1.8+7.6+.497
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 TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Wilt Chamberlain 15 47.9 21.7 - - 29.1 9.0 - - - 2.5 8.8 15.2 .579 - - - 4.1 10.7 .388
Yao Ming DNP------ --- ----------

Additional Years

* Wilt Chamberlain played 6 seasons more than Yao Ming in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 9 to 14, from 1968 to 1973—Wilt Chamberlain played in 6 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 6 extra years over Yao Ming, Wilt Chamberlain got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Finals MVP
Achievement 1 Season MVP
Achievement 1 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 2 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 5 Rebounds Leader
Achievement 1 Assists Leader
Achievement 5 All-Star Game
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