Yao Ming vs. Tom Tolbert Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Tom Tolbert 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, 1 more than Tom Tolbert, who played 7. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Tom Tolbert had his rookie season in 1988-89. 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
Tom Tolbert 7 1 1988-89 to 1994-95

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Tom Tolbert
Season 2002-031988-89
Team Houston RocketsCharlotte Hornets
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
Tom Tolbert 14 8.4 2.9 0.5 1.0 1.5 0.5 0.1 0.3 0.1 1.4 1.2 2.6 .459 0.0 0.2 .000 0.4 0.9 .500
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Tom Tolbert ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Yao Ming Tom Tolbert
Season 2003-041989-90
Team Houston RocketsGolden State Warriors
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
Tom Tolbert 70 19.2 8.8 1.7 3.4 5.2 0.8 0.3 0.4 1.1 2.7 3.1 6.3 .493 0.1 0.3 .278 2.5 3.4 .726
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
Tom Tolbert ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Yao Ming Tom Tolbert
Season 2004-051990-91
Team Houston RocketsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdWarriors 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 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
Tom Tolbert 62 22.1 8.1 1.4 3.0 4.4 1.2 0.6 0.6 1.3 3.1 3.0 7.0 .423 0.1 0.3 .333 2.0 2.8 .738
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
Tom Tolbert 9 12.9 3.6 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.9 0.3 0.4 0.4 3.2 1.6 3.7 .424 0.1 0.3 .333 0.3 1.2 .273

Season 4
Yao Ming Tom Tolbert
Season 2005-061991-92
Team Houston RocketsGolden State Warriors
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
Tom Tolbert 35 8.9 2.6 0.4 1.2 1.6 0.6 0.3 0.2 0.6 2.1 0.9 2.5 .384 0.1 0.2 .250 0.6 1.1 .550
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Tom Tolbert ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Yao Ming Tom Tolbert
Season 2006-071992-93
Team Houston RocketsOrlando Magic
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
Tom Tolbert 72 25.5 8.1 1.8 3.9 5.7 1.3 0.5 0.3 1.7 2.7 3.1 6.3 .498 0.1 0.4 .321 1.7 2.3 .726
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
Tom Tolbert ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Yao Ming Tom Tolbert
Season 2007-081993-94
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 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
Tom Tolbert 49 13.1 3.8 0.7 1.5 2.2 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.8 1.2 1.5 3.6 .418 0.1 0.3 .375 0.7 0.9 .733
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Tom Tolbert ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Yao Ming Tom Tolbert
Season 2008-091994-95
Team Houston RocketsCharlotte Hornets
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
Tom Tolbert 10 5.7 1.4 0.7 1.0 1.7 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.9 0.6 1.8 .333 0.0 0.4 .000 0.2 0.2 1.000
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
Tom Tolbert ------- --- ----------

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

Season 8
Yao Ming Tom Tolbert
Season 2010-11-
Team Houston Rockets-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
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 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
Tom Tolbert ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Tom Tolbert ------- --- ----------
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