Bob Pettit vs. Earl Tatum Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Earl Tatum and Bob Pettit, 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.

Bob Pettit played 11 years in the NBA, 7 more than Earl Tatum, who played 4. Bob Pettit had the first of his seasons in 1954-55, while Earl Tatum 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
Bob Pettit 11 9 1954-55 to 1964-65
Earl Tatum 4 1 1976-77 to 1979-80

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1954-551976-77
Team Milwaukee HawksLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers 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 %
Bob Pettit 72 36.9 20.4 - - 13.8 3.2 - - - 3.6 7.2 17.8 .407 - - - 5.9 7.9 .751
Earl Tatum 68 18.4 9.4 1.2 2.3 3.5 1.7 1.3 0.3 - 2.5 4.2 8.9 .466 - - - 1.1 1.5 .720
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit ------- --- ----------
Earl Tatum 11 32.4 13.6 1.5 3.5 4.9 2.5 1.4 0.8 - 3.1 6.1 12.2 .500 - - - 1.5 2.2 .667

Season 2
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1955-561977-78
Team St. Louis HawksLos Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 72 38.8 25.7 - - 16.2 2.6 - - - 2.8 9.0 20.9 .429 - - - 7.7 10.5 .736
Earl Tatum 82 30.8 14.3 1.0 2.6 3.6 3.6 1.7 0.5 2.2 3.1 6.2 13.3 .469 - - - 1.9 2.4 .781
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 8 34.3 19.1 - - 10.5 2.3 - - - 2.5 5.9 16.0 .367 - - - 7.4 8.8 .843
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1956-571978-79
Team St. Louis HawksBoston Celtics, Detroit Pistons
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 71 35.1 24.7 - - 14.6 1.9 - - - 2.5 8.6 20.8 .415 - - - 7.5 9.6 .773
Earl Tatum 79 15.6 7.7 0.5 1.1 1.6 0.9 1.0 0.4 1.1 2.1 3.5 7.9 .447 - - - 0.7 0.9 .732
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 10 43.0 29.8 - - 16.8 2.5 - - - 3.3 9.8 23.7 .414 - - - 10.2 13.3 .767
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1957-581979-80
Team St. Louis HawksCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 70 36.1 24.6 - - 17.4 2.2 - - - 3.2 8.3 20.3 .410 - - - 8.0 10.6 .749
Earl Tatum 33 6.8 2.6 0.3 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.9 1.1 2.8 .383 0.1 0.2 .333 0.3 0.6 .579
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 11 39.1 24.2 - - 16.5 1.8 - - - 2.8 8.2 20.9 .391 - - - 7.8 10.7 .729
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1958-59-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 72 39.9 29.2 - - 16.4 3.1 - - - 2.8 10.0 22.8 .438 - - - 9.3 12.2 .759
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 6 42.8 27.8 - - 12.5 2.3 - - - 3.3 9.7 22.8 .423 - - - 8.5 10.8 .785
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1959-60-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost NBA Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 72 40.2 26.1 - - 17.0 3.6 - - - 2.8 9.3 21.2 .438 - - - 7.6 10.0 .753
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 14 41.1 26.1 - - 15.8 3.7 - - - 3.1 9.2 20.9 .442 - - - 7.6 10.1 .754
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1960-61-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost NBA Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 76 39.8 27.9 - - 20.3 3.4 - - - 2.9 10.1 22.6 .447 - - - 7.7 10.6 .724
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 12 43.8 28.6 - - 17.6 3.2 - - - 3.5 9.8 23.7 .412 - - - 9.1 12.0 .757
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 8
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1961-62-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
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 %
Bob Pettit 78 42.1 31.1 - - 18.7 3.7 - - - 3.8 11.1 24.7 .450 - - - 8.9 11.6 .771
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit ------- --- ----------
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1962-63-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 79 39.1 28.4 - - 15.1 3.1 - - - 3.6 9.8 22.1 .446 - - - 8.7 11.2 .774
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 11 42.1 31.8 - - 15.1 3.0 - - - 3.1 10.8 23.5 .459 - - - 10.2 13.1 .778
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 10
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1963-64-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 80 41.2 27.4 - - 15.3 3.2 - - - 3.8 9.9 21.4 .463 - - - 7.6 9.6 .789
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 12 41.2 21.0 - - 14.5 2.8 - - - 3.7 7.8 18.8 .412 - - - 5.5 6.6 .835
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 11
Bob Pettit Earl Tatum
Season 1964-65-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div Semis-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 50 35.1 22.5 - - 12.4 2.6 - - - 3.3 7.9 18.5 .429 - - - 6.6 8.1 .820
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 4 23.8 11.5 - - 6.0 2.0 - - - 2.5 3.8 10.3 .366 - - - 4.0 5.0 .800
Earl Tatum ------- --- ----------
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