Don Ford vs. Nikola Jokic Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Nikola Jokic and Don Ford, 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.

Don Ford played 7 years in the NBA, 2 less than Nikola Jokic, who played 9. Don Ford had the first of his seasons in 1975-76, while Nikola Jokic had his rookie season in 2015-16. 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
Don Ford 7 3 1975-76 to 1981-82
Nikola Jokic 9 6 2015-16 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season 1975-762015-16
Team Los Angeles LakersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
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 %
Don Ford 76 24.2 9.6 1.6 2.8 4.4 1.5 0.7 0.2 - 2.4 4.1 9.3 .438 - - - 1.4 1.8 .748
Nikola Jokic 80 21.7 10.0 2.3 4.7 7.0 2.4 1.0 0.6 1.3 2.6 3.8 7.5 .512 0.4 1.1 .333 1.9 2.4 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season 1976-772016-17
Team Los Angeles LakersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford 82 21.7 7.3 1.3 3.0 4.3 1.6 0.7 0.3 - 2.1 3.2 7.0 .460 - - - 0.9 1.2 .716
Nikola Jokic 73 27.9 16.7 2.9 6.9 9.8 4.9 0.8 0.8 2.3 2.9 6.8 11.7 .578 0.6 1.9 .324 2.6 3.1 .825
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford 11 30.3 10.1 2.0 3.3 5.3 3.4 1.5 0.4 - 2.5 3.8 8.9 .429 - - - 2.5 3.3 .750
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season 1977-782017-18
Team Los Angeles LakersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers 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 %
Don Ford 79 24.6 7.7 1.3 3.1 4.5 1.8 0.9 0.6 1.1 2.7 3.4 7.3 .472 - - - 0.9 1.1 .756
Nikola Jokic 75 32.6 18.5 2.6 8.1 10.7 6.1 1.2 0.8 2.8 2.8 6.7 13.5 .499 1.5 3.7 .396 3.5 4.2 .850
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford 1 10.0 0.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 0.0 3.0 .000 - - - 0.0 0.0 -
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season 1978-792018-19
Team Los Angeles LakersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf SemisNuggets 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 %
Don Ford 79 19.5 6.7 1.1 2.3 3.4 1.3 0.6 0.3 1.2 2.2 2.9 5.7 .507 - - - 0.9 1.1 .809
Nikola Jokic 80 31.3 20.1 2.9 8.0 10.8 7.3 1.4 0.7 3.1 2.9 7.7 15.1 .511 1.0 3.4 .307 3.6 4.4 .821
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford 8 17.3 4.1 0.3 2.5 2.8 0.9 0.4 0.3 0.5 2.5 2.0 3.8 .533 - - - 0.1 0.4 .333
Nikola Jokic 14 39.8 25.1 3.9 9.1 13.0 8.4 1.1 0.9 2.6 3.9 9.4 18.6 .506 1.6 4.0 .393 4.7 5.6 .846

Season 5
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season 1979-802019-20
Team Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland CavaliersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets 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 %
Don Ford 73 13.7 4.2 0.6 1.9 2.5 0.9 0.3 0.3 0.7 1.8 1.8 3.8 .478 0.0 0.0 .333 0.6 0.7 .849
Nikola Jokic 73 32.0 19.9 2.3 7.5 9.7 7.0 1.2 0.6 3.1 3.0 7.7 14.7 .528 1.1 3.5 .314 3.4 4.1 .817
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 19 36.5 24.4 1.9 7.9 9.8 5.7 1.1 0.8 3.3 3.6 9.4 18.1 .519 2.2 5.2 .429 3.5 4.2 .835

Season 6
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season 1980-812020-21
Team Cleveland CavaliersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets 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 %
Don Ford 64 15.6 3.5 1.2 1.4 2.6 1.3 0.2 0.2 0.8 1.6 1.6 3.5 .446 0.0 0.0 .000 0.3 0.4 .917
Nikola Jokic 72 34.6 26.4 2.8 8.0 10.8 8.3 1.3 0.7 3.1 2.7 10.2 18.0 .566 1.3 3.3 .388 4.8 5.5 .868
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 10 34.5 29.8 3.7 7.9 11.6 5.0 0.6 0.9 2.4 2.3 11.6 22.8 .509 2.0 5.3 .377 4.6 5.5 .836

Season 7
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season 1981-822021-22
Team Cleveland CavaliersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets 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 %
Don Ford 21 9.6 1.1 0.7 1.0 1.7 0.5 0.4 0.0 0.7 1.4 0.4 1.1 .375 0.0 0.0 .000 0.2 0.3 .833
Nikola Jokic 74 33.5 27.1 2.8 11.0 13.8 7.9 1.5 0.9 3.8 2.6 10.3 17.7 .583 1.3 3.9 .337 5.1 6.3 .810
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 5 34.2 31.0 3.4 9.8 13.2 5.8 1.6 1.0 4.8 4.0 12.2 21.2 .575 1.0 3.6 .278 5.6 6.6 .848

Season 8
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season -2022-23
Team -Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Finals MVP
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -NBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 69 33.7 24.5 2.4 9.4 11.8 9.8 1.3 0.7 3.6 2.5 9.4 14.8 .632 0.8 2.2 .383 4.9 6.0 .822
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 20 39.5 30.0 3.5 10.0 13.5 9.5 1.1 1.0 3.5 3.5 11.4 20.7 .548 1.8 3.8 .461 5.6 7.0 .799

Season 9
Don Ford Nikola Jokic
Season -2023-24
Team -Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Nuggets TBD
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 79 34.6 26.4 2.8 9.5 12.4 9.0 1.4 0.9 3.0 2.5 10.4 17.9 .583 1.1 2.9 .359 4.5 5.5 .817
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Ford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 7 40.1 27.0 3.7 11.3 15.0 9.4 1.3 0.3 3.9 2.9 10.1 18.7 .542 1.1 4.0 .286 5.6 5.9 .951
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