Yao Ming vs. Lonnie Shelton Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Lonnie Shelton 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 Lonnie Shelton, who played 10. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Lonnie Shelton had his rookie season in 1976-77. 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
Lonnie Shelton 10 6 1976-77 to 1985-86

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season 2002-031976-77
Team Houston RocketsNew York Knicks
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
Lonnie Shelton 82 25.7 11.6 2.7 5.0 7.7 1.8 1.5 1.2 - 4.4 4.9 10.2 .476 - - - 1.9 2.7 .707
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Lonnie Shelton ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season 2003-041977-78
Team Houston RocketsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdKnicks Lost East Conf Semis
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
Lonnie Shelton 82 28.3 14.9 2.5 4.6 7.1 2.4 1.3 1.4 2.8 4.3 6.2 12.0 .514 - - - 2.5 3.4 .736
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
Lonnie Shelton 6 25.2 11.0 3.0 4.3 7.3 2.8 0.3 0.8 2.3 4.8 5.0 9.3 .536 - - - 1.0 1.3 .750

Season 3
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season 2004-051978-79
Team Houston RocketsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdNBA Champion NBA Champion
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
Lonnie Shelton 76 28.4 13.5 2.4 3.8 6.2 1.4 1.0 1.0 2.5 3.5 5.9 11.3 .519 - - - 1.7 2.5 .693
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
Lonnie Shelton 17 33.3 12.9 3.6 4.8 8.4 2.0 1.1 1.1 1.8 4.7 5.9 12.3 .483 - - - 1.1 1.5 .692

Season 4
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season 2005-061979-80
Team Houston RocketsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf Finals
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
Lonnie Shelton 76 29.5 13.6 2.6 5.0 7.7 1.9 1.2 1.0 2.2 3.8 5.6 10.6 .530 0.0 0.1 .200 2.4 3.2 .763
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Lonnie Shelton 15 31.3 12.0 2.3 6.0 8.3 1.7 1.5 0.8 2.5 3.6 4.9 9.7 .507 0.0 0.1 .000 2.1 3.4 .627

Season 5
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season 2006-071980-81
Team Houston RocketsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second 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 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
Lonnie Shelton 14 31.4 13.0 2.2 3.4 5.6 2.5 1.6 0.2 2.9 3.4 5.2 12.4 .420 0.0 0.0 - 2.6 3.9 .655
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
Lonnie Shelton ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season 2007-081981-82
Team Houston RocketsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
-Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlaySupersonics Lost West Conf Semis
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
Lonnie Shelton 81 32.9 14.9 2.0 4.3 6.3 3.1 1.2 0.5 2.5 3.9 6.3 12.9 .486 0.0 0.1 .000 2.3 3.0 .783
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Lonnie Shelton 8 33.3 12.8 3.0 4.4 7.4 2.0 0.6 0.9 2.5 4.8 5.0 10.6 .471 0.0 0.0 - 2.8 4.0 .688

Season 7
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season 2008-091982-83
Team Houston RocketsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisSupersonics 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 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
Lonnie Shelton 82 31.4 12.4 1.9 4.1 6.0 2.9 0.9 0.9 2.1 3.8 5.3 11.2 .478 0.0 0.1 .167 1.7 2.3 .754
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
Lonnie Shelton 2 26.5 5.0 6.5 4.0 10.5 2.5 0.5 0.0 1.0 3.5 2.0 11.5 .174 0.0 1.5 .000 1.0 2.5 .400

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

Season 8
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season 2010-111983-84
Team Houston RocketsCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards 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 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
Lonnie Shelton 79 26.6 10.8 1.8 3.1 4.8 2.3 1.0 0.7 2.1 3.5 4.7 9.9 .476 0.0 0.1 .200 1.4 1.8 .764
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Lonnie Shelton ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season -1984-85
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Cavaliers 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 ------- --- ----------
Lonnie Shelton 57 21.8 6.4 1.4 3.2 4.7 1.7 0.8 0.3 1.3 3.3 2.8 6.4 .435 0.0 0.1 .000 0.9 1.4 .662
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Lonnie Shelton 4 26.5 11.5 1.5 4.0 5.5 1.0 0.5 0.3 1.5 5.0 4.8 8.5 .559 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.5 .800

Season 10
Yao Ming Lonnie Shelton
Season -1985-86
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
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 ------- --- ----------
Lonnie Shelton 44 15.5 4.5 0.9 2.4 3.3 1.4 0.5 0.1 1.1 2.9 2.1 4.3 .489 0.0 0.0 .000 0.3 0.4 .875
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Lonnie Shelton ------- --- ----------
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