Yao Ming vs. Jamal Murray Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jamal Murray and Yao Ming, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

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.

Yao Ming played 8 years in the NBA, 1 less than Jamal Murray, who played 9. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Jamal Murray had his rookie season in 2016-17. 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.

Rookie Season
	Yao Ming	Jamal Murray
Season	2002-03	2016-17
Team	Houston Rockets	Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards	All-Rookie First Team	-
	-	All-Rookie Second Team
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Did Not Play

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Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:		+7.5	+3.6	+1.9	+3.7	+5.6	+0.4	+0.2	+1.5	-0.7	-1.3	+1.3	+0.9	+.094	+1.4	+4.2		+2.4	+3.0	+.072
Jamal Murray	82	21.5	9.9	0.5	2.1	2.6	2.1	0.6	0.3	1.4	1.5	3.6	8.9	.404	1.4	4.2	.334	1.3	1.5	.883
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Jamal Murray played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
	Yao Ming	Jamal Murray
Season	2003-04	2017-18
Team	Houston Rockets	Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Did Not Play

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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+1	+1.1	+0.8	+1.4	+3.9	+5.3	+1.9	+0.7	+1.6	-0.4	-1.2	+0.6	+0.6	+.071	+2.0	+5.4		+1.6	+2.3	+.096
Jamal Murray	81	31.7	16.7	1.0	2.7	3.7	3.4	1.0	0.3	2.1	2.1	5.9	13.1	.451	2.0	5.4	.378	2.8	3.1	.905
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
Jamal Murray	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 3
	Yao Ming	Jamal Murray
Season	2004-05	2018-19
Team	Houston Rockets	Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Nuggets Lost West Conf Semis

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+5	+2.0	+0.1	+1.7	+2.4	+4.2	+4.0	+0.5	+1.6	-0.4	-1.7	+0.1	+3.4	+.115	+2.0	+5.5		+2.4	+3.2	+.065
Jamal Murray	75	32.6	18.2	0.9	3.4	4.2	4.8	0.9	0.4	2.1	2.0	6.8	15.6	.437	2.0	5.5	.367	2.5	3.0	.848
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+7	+4.4	+0.1	+1.9	+1.4	+3.3	+4.0	+0.7	+2.6	-1.1	-2.7	+0.3	+6.0	+.230	+2.0	+5.9		+1.7	+3.5	+.176
Jamal Murray	14	36.3	21.3	1.4	3.0	4.4	4.7	1.0	0.1	1.6	1.7	7.6	18.0	.425	2.0	5.9	.337	4.0	4.4	.903

Season 4
	Yao Ming	Jamal Murray
Season	2005-06	2019-20
Team	Houston Rockets	Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Nuggets Lost West Conf Finals

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+2	+1.9	+3.8	+1.8	+4.4	+6.2	+3.3	+0.6	+1.3	-0.4	-1.7	+1.3	+0.6	+.063	+1.9	+5.5		+3.1	+3.8	+.028
Jamal Murray	59	32.3	18.5	0.8	3.2	4.0	4.8	1.1	0.3	2.2	1.7	6.9	15.2	.456	1.9	5.5	.346	2.8	3.1	.881
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Yao Ming	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jamal Murray	19	39.6	26.5	1.1	3.8	4.8	6.6	0.9	0.3	2.8	2.2	9.8	19.4	.505	3.3	7.2	.453	3.7	4.1	.897

Season 5
	Yao Ming	Jamal Murray
Season	2006-07	2020-21
Team	Houston Rockets	Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Did Not Play

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:		+1.7	+3.8	+1.3	+4.0	+5.4	+2.8	+0.9	+1.7	-1.2	-1.3	+0.9	+0.6	+.039	+2.7	+6.6		+4.6	+5.4	+.007
Jamal Murray	48	35.5	21.2	0.8	3.3	4.0	4.8	1.3	0.3	2.3	2.0	7.9	16.5	.477	2.7	6.6	.408	2.8	3.2	.869
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
Jamal Murray	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Note: Jamal Murray didn't play in 2021-22.

Season 6
	Yao Ming	Jamal Murray
Season	2007-08	2022-23
Team	Houston Rockets	Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	NBA Champion

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+10	+4.4	+2.0	+2.4	+4.5	+6.8	+3.9	+0.5	+1.8	-1.1	-1.5	+0.6	+0.5	+.053	+2.6	+6.6		+3.5	+4.1	+.017
Jamal Murray	65	32.8	20.0	0.7	3.2	4.0	6.2	1.0	0.2	2.2	1.6	7.3	16.0	.454	2.6	6.6	.398	2.8	3.3	.833
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Yao Ming	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jamal Murray	20	40.0	26.1	0.8	4.9	5.7	7.1	1.5	0.3	2.5	2.1	9.7	20.5	.473	3.0	7.5	.396	3.8	4.1	.926

Season 7
	Yao Ming	Jamal Murray
Season	2008-09	2023-24
Team	Houston Rockets	Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Rockets Lost West Conf Semis	Nuggets Lost West Conf Semis

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7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+18	+2.1	+1.5	+1.9	+3.8	+5.8	+4.7	+0.6	+1.2	-0.9	-1.5	+0.6	+3.3	+.067	+2.5	+5.8		+2.2	+2.6	+.013
Jamal Murray	59	31.5	21.2	0.7	3.4	4.1	6.5	1.0	0.7	2.1	1.8	8.0	16.7	.481	2.5	5.8	.425	2.7	3.1	.853
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+3	+2.6	+3.5	+1.3	+5.2	+6.6	+4.6	+0.4	+0.7	-0.7	-0.7	+2.3	+9.8	+.143	+1.9	+6.1		+3.1	+3.5	+.021
Jamal Murray	12	38.5	20.6	0.8	3.6	4.3	5.6	0.8	0.5	2.6	2.3	8.3	20.8	.402	1.9	6.1	.315	2.0	2.2	.923

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

Season 8
	Yao Ming	Jamal Murray
Season	2010-11	2024-25
Team	Houston Rockets	Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Nuggets Lost West Conf Semis

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8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+62	+17.9	+11.2	+0.7	+0.8	+1.5	+5.2	+1.4	+1.1	-0.7	-0.7	+4.3	+9.3	+.012	+2.3	+5.9		+0.3	+0.5	+.052
Jamal Murray	67	36.1	21.4	0.7	3.2	3.9	6.0	1.4	0.5	2.1	1.9	7.9	16.7	.474	2.3	5.9	.393	3.3	3.7	.886
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Yao Ming	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jamal Murray	14	41.3	21.8	0.6	4.2	4.9	5.2	1.2	0.8	3.1	2.2	7.9	17.9	.444	2.4	6.9	.354	3.5	4.0	.875