Dante Cunningham vs. Yao Ming Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Yao Ming and Dante Cunningham, 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.

Dante Cunningham played 10 years in the NBA, 2 more than Yao Ming, who played 8. Dante Cunningham had the first of his seasons in 2009-10, while Yao Ming had his rookie season in 2002-03. 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
Dante Cunningham 10 4 2009-10 to 2018-19
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2009-102002-03
Team Portland Trail BlazersHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Trail Blazers 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 %
Dante Cunningham 63 11.2 3.9 0.9 1.7 2.5 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 1.5 1.7 3.4 .495 0.0 0.0 .000 0.5 0.8 .646
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
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham 5 8.4 4.6 1.0 1.6 2.6 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.6 2.0 1.8 3.0 .600 0.0 0.2 .000 1.0 1.2 .833
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2010-112003-04
Team Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte BobcatsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets 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 %
Dante Cunningham 78 21.0 6.2 1.2 2.3 3.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 2.3 2.8 6.1 .462 0.0 0.2 .077 0.6 0.8 .726
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
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham ------- --- ----------
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

Season 3
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2011-122004-05
Team Memphis GrizzliesHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Grizzlies Lost West Conf 1st RdRockets 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 %
Dante Cunningham 64 17.6 5.2 1.4 2.4 3.8 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.5 1.5 2.3 4.4 .516 0.0 0.0 .000 0.7 1.1 .652
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
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham 7 7.0 1.1 0.9 0.7 1.6 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.6 1.6 .364 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
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

Season 4
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2012-132005-06
Team Minnesota TimberwolvesHouston Rockets
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 %
Dante Cunningham 80 25.1 8.7 1.8 3.3 5.1 0.8 1.1 0.5 0.7 1.9 3.9 8.4 .468 0.0 0.1 .000 0.8 1.3 .650
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
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2013-142006-07
Team Minnesota TimberwolvesHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets 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 %
Dante Cunningham 81 20.2 6.3 1.4 2.7 4.1 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.5 1.8 2.9 6.3 .464 0.0 0.1 .000 0.5 0.8 .567
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
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham ------- --- ----------
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

Season 6
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2014-152007-08
Team New Orleans PelicansHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pelicans 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 %
Dante Cunningham 66 25.0 5.2 1.1 2.8 3.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 1.5 2.3 5.1 .457 0.0 0.2 .100 0.4 0.7 .617
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
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham 4 18.8 5.3 1.0 3.5 4.5 0.5 0.8 1.0 0.0 1.8 2.3 2.8 .818 0.0 0.0 - 0.8 0.8 1.000
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2015-162008-09
Team New Orleans PelicansHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets 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 %
Dante Cunningham 80 24.6 6.1 0.7 2.2 3.0 1.0 0.5 0.4 0.5 2.2 2.3 5.2 .451 0.7 2.2 .316 0.7 1.0 .695
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
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham ------- --- ----------
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

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

Season 8
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2016-172010-11
Team New Orleans PelicansHouston Rockets
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 %
Dante Cunningham 66 25.0 6.6 0.8 3.3 4.2 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4 1.5 2.6 5.4 .485 1.1 2.7 .392 0.2 0.4 .593
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
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2017-18-
Team New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets-
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 %
Dante Cunningham 73 21.4 5.7 1.1 3.0 4.1 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.5 1.5 2.2 5.0 .451 0.8 2.3 .345 0.4 0.7 .596
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham ------- --- ----------
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------

Season 10
Dante Cunningham Yao Ming
Season 2018-19-
Team San Antonio Spurs-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Spurs 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 %
Dante Cunningham 64 14.5 3.0 0.8 2.2 2.9 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.3 1.1 1.2 2.5 .475 0.5 1.0 .462 0.2 0.3 .778
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dante Cunningham 5 2.6 1.2 0.4 0.8 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.6 .667 0.4 0.4 1.000 0.0 0.0 -
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Share: