Yao Ming vs. Vitaly Potapenko Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Vitaly Potapenko 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 / 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, 3 less than Vitaly Potapenko, who played 11. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Vitaly Potapenko had his rookie season in 1996-97. 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
Vitaly Potapenko 11 3 1996-97 to 2006-07

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season 2002-031996-97
Team Houston RocketsCleveland Cavaliers
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
Vitaly Potapenko 80 15.5 5.8 1.3 1.4 2.7 0.5 0.3 0.4 1.4 2.7 2.3 5.3 .440 0.0 0.0 .500 1.2 1.6 .736
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season 2003-041997-98
Team Houston RocketsCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdCavaliers 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 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
Vitaly Potapenko 80 17.7 7.1 1.4 2.5 3.9 0.7 0.3 0.4 1.7 2.5 2.9 6.1 .480 0.0 0.0 .000 1.3 1.8 .708
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
Vitaly Potapenko 4 17.8 4.3 0.8 2.0 2.8 0.8 0.5 0.0 1.5 2.0 1.5 3.8 .400 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 2.5 .500

Season 3
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season 2004-051998-99
Team Houston RocketsCleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics
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
Vitaly Potapenko 50 27.9 10.0 2.3 4.4 6.6 1.5 0.7 0.7 2.0 3.4 4.1 8.2 .495 0.0 0.0 .000 1.8 3.1 .587
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
Vitaly Potapenko ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season 2005-061999-00
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
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
Vitaly Potapenko 79 22.7 9.2 2.3 4.0 6.3 1.0 0.5 0.4 1.8 3.0 3.9 7.8 .499 0.0 0.0 .000 1.4 2.0 .681
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season 2006-072000-01
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
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
Vitaly Potapenko 82 23.2 7.5 2.5 3.5 6.0 0.8 0.6 0.3 1.3 2.8 3.0 6.4 .476 0.0 0.0 - 1.4 1.9 .728
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
Vitaly Potapenko ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season 2007-082001-02
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
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
Vitaly Potapenko 79 17.0 4.6 2.1 2.3 4.4 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.8 2.2 1.7 3.8 .455 0.0 0.0 - 1.1 1.5 .742
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season 2008-092002-03
Team Houston RocketsSeattle Supersonics
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
Vitaly Potapenko 26 15.5 4.0 1.0 2.5 3.4 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.0 1.8 1.6 3.6 .441 0.0 0.0 - 0.8 1.1 .759
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
Vitaly Potapenko ------- --- ----------

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

Season 8
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season 2010-112003-04
Team Houston RocketsSeattle Supersonics
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
Vitaly Potapenko 65 21.8 7.1 1.6 2.9 4.4 0.8 0.3 0.4 1.2 2.5 3.1 6.3 .489 0.0 0.0 - 0.9 1.4 .641
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season -2004-05
Team -Seattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Supersonics 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 ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko 33 10.2 3.5 0.9 1.5 2.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.4 1.6 1.4 2.6 .517 0.0 0.0 .000 0.8 0.9 .871
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko 5 7.2 2.0 0.6 0.8 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 1.0 2.0 .500 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -

Season 10
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season -2005-06
Team -Seattle Supersonics, Sacramento Kings
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Kings 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 ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko 33 10.7 2.5 0.8 1.1 1.9 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.5 1.5 1.1 2.2 .521 0.0 0.0 - 0.3 0.5 .588
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko 4 2.3 1.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 .500 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -

Season 11
Yao Ming Vitaly Potapenko
Season -2006-07
Team -Sacramento Kings
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 ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko 3 4.3 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 1.0 0.0 1.3 .000 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Vitaly Potapenko ------- --- ----------
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