Yao Ming vs. Karl-Anthony Towns Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Karl-Anthony Towns 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.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / 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.

Yao Ming played 8 years in the NBA, 3 less than Karl-Anthony Towns, who played 11. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Karl-Anthony Towns had his rookie season in 2015-16. 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
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11
Karl-Anthony Towns 11 5 2015-16 to 2025-26

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

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

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2002-032015-16
Team Houston RocketsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Star Game-
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%
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:+3.0+4.8+0.4+1.9+2.3+0.3+0.3+0.1-0.1-0.2+2.7+4.3+.044+0.4+1.1+1.0+1.1
Karl-Anthony Towns 82 32.0 18.3 2.8 7.7 10.5 2.0 0.7 1.7 2.2 3.0 7.6 14.1 .542 0.4 1.1 .341 2.7 3.4 .811
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Karl-Anthony Towns played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
Yao Ming Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2003-042016-17
Team Houston RocketsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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:+4.2+7.6+1.2+2.1+3.3+1.2+0.4+0.6-0.1-0.4+3.3+5.5+.020+1.2+3.4+0.1+0.2+.023
Karl-Anthony Towns 82 37.0 25.1 3.6 8.7 12.3 2.7 0.7 1.3 2.6 2.9 9.8 18.0 .542 1.2 3.4 .367 4.3 5.2 .832
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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
Karl-Anthony Towns DNP------ --- ----------

Season 3
Yao Ming Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2004-052017-18
Team Houston RocketsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdTimberwolves 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%
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:+2+5.0+3.0+0.3+3.6+3.9+1.6+0.4+0.6-0.6-0.2+1.1+2.1+.007+1.5+3.5+0.7+1.3+.075
Karl-Anthony Towns 82 35.6 21.3 2.9 9.4 12.3 2.4 0.8 1.4 1.9 3.5 7.8 14.3 .545 1.5 3.5 .421 4.2 4.9 .858
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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:+2+2.1+6.2+0.3+6.0+5.7+1.5+0.1+1.7-0.3-1.6+2.3+.188+0.6+2.2+2.3+3.3+.012
Karl-Anthony Towns 5 34.0 15.2 3.0 10.4 13.4 2.2 0.4 1.0 2.4 2.8 5.6 12.0 .467 0.6 2.2 .273 3.4 4.6 .739

Season 4
Yao Ming Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2005-062018-19
Team Houston RocketsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
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%
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:+20+1.1+2.1+0.8+1.4+2.2+1.9+0.4-0.5-0.4+0.6+1.3+.001+1.8+4.6+1.0+1.1+.017
Karl-Anthony Towns 77 33.1 24.4 3.4 9.0 12.4 3.4 0.9 1.6 3.1 3.8 8.8 17.1 .518 1.8 4.6 .400 4.9 5.8 .836
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Karl-Anthony Towns played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5
Yao Ming Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2006-072019-20
Team Houston RocketsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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:+13+0.1+1.5+0.6+0.8+1.4+2.4+0.5+0.8-0.4+0.2+0.7+.008+3.3+7.9+2.3+2.1+.066
Karl-Anthony Towns 35 33.9 26.5 2.7 8.1 10.8 4.4 0.9 1.2 3.1 3.3 9.0 17.8 .508 3.3 7.9 .412 5.1 6.5 .796
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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
Karl-Anthony Towns DNP------ --- ----------

Season 6
Yao Ming Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2007-082020-21
Team Houston RocketsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid 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%
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:+5+3.4+2.8+0.4+0.2+0.2+2.2+0.3+0.9-0.1-0.6+0.6+2.0+.021+2.4+6.3+1.0+1.2+.009
Karl-Anthony Towns 50 33.8 24.8 2.7 7.9 10.6 4.5 0.8 1.1 3.2 3.7 8.5 17.5 .486 2.4 6.3 .387 5.3 6.2 .859
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Karl-Anthony Towns played in the postseason in their season 6

Season 7
Yao Ming Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2008-092021-22
Team Houston RocketsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisTimberwolves 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%
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:+3+0.1+4.9+0.1+1.8+0.6+0.8-0.1-0.3+1.3+3.0+.019+2.0+4.9+0.3+0.6+.044
Karl-Anthony Towns 74 33.5 24.6 2.6 7.2 9.8 3.6 1.0 1.1 3.1 3.6 8.7 16.4 .529 2.0 4.9 .410 5.2 6.3 .822
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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+1.1+4.7+0.3+0.2+0.1+1.2+0.3+0.8-2.6-1.2+0.5+2.3+.057+1.7+3.7+2.1+2.6+.042
Karl-Anthony Towns 6 37.0 21.8 1.8 9.0 10.8 2.2 0.7 2.0 4.5 4.2 6.5 13.3 .488 1.7 3.7 .455 7.2 8.3 .860

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

Season 8
Yao Ming Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2010-112022-23
Team Houston RocketsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTimberwolves Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF 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:+24+14.8+10.6+0.3+2.5+2.7+4.0+0.7+1.0-1.6-1.2+3.7+7.4+.009+2.1+5.7+1.1+1.5+.064
Karl-Anthony Towns 29 33.0 20.8 1.7 6.5 8.1 4.8 0.7 0.6 3.0 3.8 7.3 14.8 .495 2.1 5.7 .366 4.1 4.7 .874
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Yao Ming DNP------ --- ----------
Karl-Anthony Towns 5 36.0 18.2 1.2 9.0 10.2 2.0 0.6 0.8 3.6 4.2 6.4 14.0 .457 1.2 4.8 .250 4.2 5.6 .750

Additional Years

* Karl-Anthony Towns played 3 seasons more than Yao Ming in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 9 to 11, from 2024 to 2026—Karl-Anthony Towns played in two Playoffs.

In those 3 extra years over Yao Ming, Karl-Anthony Towns got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 2 All-Star Game
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