Yao Ming vs. Ken Norman Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ken Norman 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

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, 2 less than Ken Norman, who played 10. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Ken Norman had his rookie season in 1987-88. 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 achivements, 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
Ken Norman 10 3 1987-88 to 1996-97

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season 2002-031987-88
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
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 .500 3.7 4.5 .811
Ken Norman 66 21.7 8.6 1.5 2.5 4.0 1.2 0.7 0.5 1.6 1.9 3.7 7.6 .482 0.0 0.2 .000 1.3 2.6 .512
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ken Norman ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season 2003-041988-89
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
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 .000 4.4 5.4 .809
Ken Norman 80 37.8 18.1 3.1 5.3 8.3 3.5 1.3 0.8 2.6 2.8 8.0 15.9 .502 0.1 0.3 .190 2.1 3.4 .630
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
Ken Norman ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season 2004-051989-90
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
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
Ken Norman 70 33.3 16.1 2.0 4.7 6.7 2.3 1.1 0.8 2.7 2.8 6.9 13.6 .510 0.1 0.2 .438 2.2 3.5 .632
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
Ken Norman ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season 2005-061990-91
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
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 .000 5.9 6.9 .853
Ken Norman 70 33.0 17.4 2.5 4.6 7.1 2.3 0.9 0.9 2.0 2.7 7.4 14.8 .501 0.1 0.5 .188 2.5 3.9 .629
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ken Norman ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season 2006-071991-92
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdClippers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
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 .000 7.4 8.6 .862
Ken Norman 77 26.1 12.1 2.1 3.8 5.8 1.6 0.7 0.9 1.3 1.9 5.2 10.7 .490 0.1 0.4 .143 1.6 2.9 .535
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
Ken Norman 5 36.8 12.6 3.8 6.0 9.8 3.0 0.8 0.6 1.2 3.6 5.4 10.6 .509 0.0 0.4 .000 1.8 3.4 .529

Season 6
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season 2007-081992-93
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayClippers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
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 .000 6.3 7.4 .850
Ken Norman 76 32.6 15.0 2.8 4.8 7.5 2.2 0.8 0.8 1.6 2.1 6.6 12.8 .511 0.1 0.5 .263 1.7 2.9 .595
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ken Norman 5 32.8 12.8 2.8 5.4 8.2 2.4 0.8 0.0 0.2 1.6 5.0 13.4 .373 0.6 1.6 .375 2.2 4.4 .500

Season 7
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season 2008-091993-94
Team Houston RocketsMilwaukee Bucks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
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 1.000 4.9 5.7 .866
Ken Norman 82 31.0 11.9 2.1 4.0 6.1 2.7 0.7 0.6 1.8 2.5 5.0 11.2 .448 0.8 2.3 .333 1.1 2.2 .503
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
Ken Norman ------- --- ----------

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

Season 8
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season 2010-111994-95
Team Houston RocketsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayHawks Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
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
Ken Norman 74 25.4 12.7 1.4 3.5 4.9 1.3 0.5 0.3 1.3 2.1 5.2 11.6 .453 1.3 3.9 .344 0.9 1.9 .457
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ken Norman 3 14.0 5.3 0.7 2.3 3.0 1.0 0.0 0.3 1.0 4.3 2.3 6.0 .389 0.3 2.7 .125 0.3 2.3 .143

Season 9
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season -1995-96
Team -Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Did Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ken Norman 34 22.6 8.9 1.2 2.7 3.9 1.9 0.4 0.5 1.4 2.0 3.7 8.0 .465 1.0 2.5 .393 0.5 1.4 .354
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ken Norman ------- --- ----------

Season 10
Yao Ming Ken Norman
Season -1996-97
Team -Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Did Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ken Norman 17 12.9 3.8 0.5 1.8 2.3 0.7 0.4 0.2 1.1 1.0 1.6 5.5 .287 0.4 2.2 .158 0.2 0.7 .333
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ken Norman ------- --- ----------
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