Yao Ming vs. Latrell Sprewell Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Latrell Sprewell 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, 5 less than Latrell Sprewell, who played 13. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Latrell Sprewell had his rookie season in 1992-93. 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	Latrell Sprewell
Season	2002-03	1992-93
Team	Houston Rockets	Golden State Warriors
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:	+5	+6.6	+1.9	+1.4	+3.3	+4.7	+2.1	+1.2	+1.1	-0.5	-0.6	+0.9	+2.8	+.034	+0.9	+2.6		+1.0	+0.8	+.065
Latrell Sprewell	77	35.6	15.4	1.0	2.5	3.5	3.8	1.6	0.7	2.6	2.2	5.8	12.6	.464	0.9	2.6	.369	2.7	3.7	.746
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Latrell Sprewell played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
	Yao Ming	Latrell Sprewell
Season	2003-04	1993-94
Team	Houston Rockets	Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	All-NBA Third Team	-
	-	All-Defensive Second Team
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Warriors Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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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:		+10.3	+3.5	+1.4	+2.7	+4.1	+3.2	+1.9	+1.0	-0.3	-1.4	+1.0	+4.8	+.089	+1.7	+4.8		+0.1	+0.2	+.035
Latrell Sprewell	82	43.1	21.0	1.0	3.9	4.9	4.7	2.2	0.9	2.8	1.9	7.5	17.3	.433	1.7	4.8	.361	4.3	5.6	.774
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
difference:	+2	+3.1	+7.7	+1.9	+2.5	+4.4	+5.2	+0.3	+0.4	-0.4	-1.0	+2.5	+6.4	+.023	+2.7	+7.7		+0.1	+0.6	+.098
Latrell Sprewell	3	40.7	22.7	0.3	2.7	3.0	7.0	0.7	1.0	3.0	5.0	8.7	20.0	.433	2.7	7.7	.348	2.7	4.0	.667

Season 3
	Yao Ming	Latrell Sprewell
Season	2004-05	1994-95
Team	Houston Rockets	Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Did not play

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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:	+11	+9.6	+2.3	+1.8	+2.9	+4.7	+3.2	+1.2	+1.3	-0.8	-2.1	+0.4	+4.8	+.134	+1.3	+4.7		+0.2	+0.3	+.002
Latrell Sprewell	69	40.2	20.6	0.8	2.9	3.7	4.0	1.6	0.7	3.3	1.6	7.1	17.0	.418	1.3	4.7	.276	5.1	6.5	.781
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
Latrell Sprewell	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 4
	Yao Ming	Latrell Sprewell
Season	2005-06	1995-96
Team	Houston Rockets	Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did not play	Did not play

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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:	+21	+5.1	+3.4	+1.0	+4.3	+5.3	+2.7	+1.1	+1.0	-0.2	-1.5	+1.6	+0.4	+.091	+1.2	+3.6		+1.4	+1.2	+.064
Latrell Sprewell	78	39.3	18.9	1.6	3.3	4.9	4.2	1.6	0.6	2.8	1.9	6.6	15.4	.428	1.2	3.6	.323	4.5	5.7	.789
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Latrell Sprewell played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5
	Yao Ming	Latrell Sprewell
Season	2006-07	1996-97
Team	Houston Rockets	Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Star Game	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:	+32	+8.1	+0.8	+1.4	+3.4	+4.8	+4.3	+1.3	+1.4	-0.5	-1.4	+0.7	+1.0	+.067	+1.8	+5.2		+1.2	+1.3	+.019
Latrell Sprewell	80	41.9	24.2	0.7	3.9	4.6	6.3	1.7	0.6	4.0	1.9	8.1	18.1	.449	1.8	5.2	.354	6.2	7.3	.843
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
Latrell Sprewell	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 6
	Yao Ming	Latrell Sprewell
Season	2007-08	1997-98
Team	Houston Rockets	Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did not play	Did not play

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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:	+41	+1.9	+0.6	+2.6	+4.6	+7.2	+2.6	+0.9	+1.6	-0.2	-1.2		+4.3	+.110	+0.6	+3.4		+1.3	+0.7	+.105
Latrell Sprewell	14	39.1	21.4	0.5	3.1	3.6	4.9	1.4	0.4	3.1	1.9	7.9	19.8	.397	0.6	3.4	.188	5.0	6.7	.745
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Yao Ming nor Latrell Sprewell played in the postseason in their season 6

Season 7
	Yao Ming	Latrell Sprewell
Season	2008-09	1998-99
Team	Houston Rockets	New York Knicks
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Rockets Lost West Conf Semis	Knicks Lost NBA Finals

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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:	+40	+0.3	+3.3	+1.5	+4.1	+5.7	+0.7	+0.8	+1.8	-0.9	-1.5	+1.6	+0.6	+.133	+0.6	+2.1		+0.7	+0.5	+.054
Latrell Sprewell	37	33.3	16.4	1.1	3.1	4.2	2.5	1.2	0.1	2.1	1.8	5.8	14.0	.415	0.6	2.1	.273	4.2	5.2	.812
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:	+11	+1.2	+3.3	+0.9	+5.2	+6.1	+1.2	+0.6	+0.9	-1.0	-1.0	+1.3	+6.3	+.126	+0.2	+1.3		+0.6	+1.0	+.052
Latrell Sprewell	20	37.1	20.4	1.2	3.6	4.8	2.2	1.0	0.3	2.9	2.0	7.3	17.3	.419	0.2	1.3	.160	5.7	6.7	.850

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

Season 8
	Yao Ming	Latrell Sprewell
Season	2010-11	1999-00
Team	Houston Rockets	New York Knicks
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Did not play	Knicks Lost East Conf Finals

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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:	+77	+21.8	+8.4	+0.8	+0.3	+1.1	+3.2	+1.3	+1.3	-1.4	-0.4	+3.3	+8.5	+.051	+0.5	+1.5		+1.2	+1.6	+.072
Latrell Sprewell	82	40.0	18.6	0.6	3.7	4.3	4.0	1.3	0.3	2.8	2.2	6.9	15.9	.435	0.5	1.5	.346	4.2	4.8	.866
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Yao Ming	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Latrell Sprewell	16	43.8	18.7	0.8	3.6	4.4	3.6	1.1	0.3	2.3	1.8	6.9	16.6	.414	0.6	1.9	.333	4.3	5.5	.784

Additional Years
* Latrell Sprewell played 5 seasons more than Yao Ming in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 9 to 13, from 2001 to 2005—Latrell Sprewell played in two Playoffs. In those 5 extra years over Yao Ming, Latrell Sprewell got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	1 All-Star Game