Yao Ming vs. Lamar Odom Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Lamar Odom 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 / Stats Rankings / Games against each other

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, 6 less than Lamar Odom, who played 14. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Lamar Odom had his rookie season in 1999-00. 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
Lamar Odom 14 8 1999-00 to 2012-13

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

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

Rookie Season

Yao Ming Lamar Odom
Season 2002-031999-00
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards 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:+6+7.4+3.1+0.3+0.1+0.4+2.5+0.8+0.5-1.3-1.0+1.0+3.7+.060+0.8+2.2+0.3+1.0+.092
Lamar Odom 76 36.4 16.6 2.1 5.7 7.8 4.2 1.2 1.3 3.4 3.8 5.9 13.5 .438 0.8 2.2 .360 4.0 5.5 .719
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Lamar Odom played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Yao Ming Lamar Odom
Season 2003-042000-01
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 >>
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:+6+4.5+0.3+1.0+0.3+1.2+3.7+0.7+0.3-1.0-0.2+0.2+1.3+.062+1.1+3.3+1.0+0.3+.130
Lamar Odom 76 37.3 17.2 1.4 6.3 7.8 5.2 1.0 1.6 3.5 3.1 6.3 13.8 .460 1.1 3.3 .316 3.4 5.1 .679
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
Lamar Odom DNP------ --- ----------

Season 3

Yao Ming Lamar Odom
Season 2004-052001-02
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
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:+51+3.8+5.2+1.5+0.8+2.3+5.1+0.4+0.8-0.8-0.6+1.5+0.2+.133+0.6+2.9+2.8+3.0+.127
Lamar Odom 29 34.4 13.1 1.1 5.0 6.1 5.9 0.8 1.2 3.3 3.1 5.2 12.4 .419 0.6 2.9 .190 2.1 3.2 .656
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
Lamar Odom DNP------ --- ----------

Season 4

Yao Ming Lamar Odom
Season 2005-062002-03
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement 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:+8+0.1+7.7+1.4+2.2+3.5+2.1+0.4+0.8-0.3-0.3+2.7+3.3+.080+0.9+2.6+3.1+3.3+.076
Lamar Odom 49 34.3 14.6 1.2 5.4 6.7 3.6 0.9 0.8 2.9 3.7 5.5 12.5 .439 0.9 2.6 .326 2.8 3.6 .777
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Lamar Odom played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5

Yao Ming Lamar Odom
Season 2006-072003-04
Team Houston RocketsMiami Heat
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdHeat Lost East Conf Semis
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:+32+3.7+7.9+0.1+0.4+0.3+2.1+0.7+1.1-0.5-0.1+2.7+3.0+.086+0.8+2.6+3.1+2.9+.120
Lamar Odom 80 37.5 17.1 2.0 7.7 9.7 4.1 1.1 0.9 3.0 3.4 6.1 14.1 .430 0.8 2.6 .298 4.3 5.7 .742
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
difference:+6+2.1+8.3+0.8+1.2+2.0+1.9+1.1+0.1-1.5-0.6+1.7+3.9+.005+0.6+2.0+5.6+5.2+.199
Lamar Odom 13 39.2 16.8 2.5 5.8 8.3 2.8 1.2 0.8 3.2 4.5 6.2 14.0 .445 0.6 2.0 .308 3.8 5.5 .681

Season 6

Yao Ming Lamar Odom
Season 2007-082004-05
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Lakers
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:+9+0.9+6.8+1.0+0.4+0.6+1.4+0.2+1.0-0.8-0.2+2.2+3.4+.034+0.6+1.8+3.1+2.7+.155
Lamar Odom 64 36.3 15.2 2.1 8.1 10.2 3.7 0.7 1.0 2.5 3.3 5.7 12.1 .473 0.6 1.8 .308 3.2 4.7 .695
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Lamar Odom played in the postseason in their season 6

Season 7

Yao Ming Lamar Odom
Season 2008-092005-06
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisLakers 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+6.7+4.9+0.3+0.2+0.7+3.7+0.5+1.1-0.3-0.1+1.8+1.8+.067+1.0+2.7+2.2+1.8+.176
Lamar Odom 80 40.3 14.8 2.3 7.0 9.2 5.5 0.9 0.8 2.7 3.2 5.6 11.6 .481 1.0 2.7 .372 2.7 3.9 .690
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:+2+9.0+2.0+0.1+0.1+3.9+0.1-1.4-0.3+1.0+3.1+.050+0.9+4.3+0.8+0.7+.235
Lamar Odom 7 44.9 19.1 2.1 8.9 11.0 4.9 0.4 1.1 3.3 3.3 7.0 14.1 .495 0.9 4.3 .200 4.3 6.4 .667

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

Season 8

Yao Ming Lamar Odom
Season 2010-112006-07
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers 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:+51+21.1+5.7+0.4+3.9+4.4+4.0+0.9+1.0-1.5-0.7+2.1+4.8+.018+1.0+3.3+0.5+1.9+.238
Lamar Odom 56 39.3 15.9 1.8 7.9 9.8 4.8 0.9 0.6 2.9 3.3 5.7 12.2 .468 1.0 3.3 .297 3.5 5.1 .700
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Yao Ming DNP------ --- ----------
Lamar Odom 5 38.4 19.4 4.0 9.0 13.0 2.2 0.4 1.2 2.0 3.4 8.2 17.0 .482 0.6 2.2 .273 2.4 4.8 .500

Additional Years

* Lamar Odom played 6 seasons more than Yao Ming in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 9 to 14, from 2008 to 2013—Lamar Odom played in 5 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.

In those 6 extra years over Yao Ming, Lamar Odom got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Sixth Man of the Year