LaMelo Ball vs. Don May Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Don May and LaMelo Ball, 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.

LaMelo Ball played 4 years in the NBA, 3 less than Don May, who played 7. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Don May had his rookie season in 1968-69. 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
LaMelo Ball 4 0 2020-21 to 2023-24
Don May 7 3 1968-69 to 1974-75

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

LaMelo Ball Don May
Season 2020-211968-69
Team Charlotte HornetsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayKnicks Lost East Div Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball 51 28.8 15.7 1.2 4.7 5.9 6.1 1.6 0.4 2.8 2.7 5.7 13.2 .436 1.8 5.1 .352 2.5 3.2 .758
Don May 48 11.7 4.3 - - 2.4 0.7 - - - 1.3 1.7 4.6 .363 - - - 0.9 1.2 .724
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May 9 9.8 2.8 - - 2.6 0.9 - - - 0.8 1.0 3.3 .300 - - - 0.8 1.0 .778

Season 2

LaMelo Ball Don May
Season 2021-221969-70
Team Charlotte HornetsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball 75 32.3 20.1 1.4 5.2 6.7 7.6 1.6 0.4 3.3 3.2 7.2 16.7 .429 2.9 7.5 .389 2.8 3.2 .872
Don May 37 6.4 2.6 - - 1.4 0.5 - - - 1.1 1.1 2.7 .386 - - - 0.5 0.5 .947
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May 2 3.5 2.0 - - 0 0.0 - - - 1.0 1.0 1.5 .667 - - - 0.0 0.0 -

Season 3

LaMelo Ball Don May
Season 2022-231970-71
Team Charlotte HornetsBuffalo Braves
Honors & Awards
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 %
LaMelo Ball 36 35.2 23.3 1.2 5.3 6.4 8.4 1.3 0.3 3.6 3.3 8.2 20.0 .411 4.0 10.6 .376 2.8 3.4 .836
Don May 76 35.1 20.2 - - 7.5 2.0 - - - 2.9 8.3 17.6 .471 - - - 3.6 4.6 .791
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May ------- --- ----------

Season 4

LaMelo Ball Don May
Season 2023-241971-72
Team Charlotte HornetsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayHawks Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball 22 32.3 23.9 1.3 3.8 5.1 8.0 1.8 0.2 3.8 3.6 8.3 19.2 .433 3.2 9.0 .355 4.1 4.7 .865
Don May 75 17.1 7.9 - - 2.9 0.7 - - - 1.8 3.1 6.3 .492 - - - 1.7 2.2 .768
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May 3 10.3 4.0 - - 2.7 0.3 - - - 1.0 1.0 3.0 .333 - - - 2.0 2.7 .750

Season 5

LaMelo Ball Don May
Season -1972-73
Team -Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers
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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May 58 15.8 7.8 - - 3.6 1.1 - - - 2.3 3.3 7.3 .446 - - - 1.3 1.6 .806
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May ------- --- ----------

Season 6

LaMelo Ball Don May
Season -1973-74
Team -Philadelphia 76ers
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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May 56 14.5 7.0 0.4 2.0 2.4 1.1 0.4 0.1 - 2.4 2.7 6.6 .414 - - - 1.6 1.8 .873
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May ------- --- ----------

Season 7

LaMelo Ball Don May
Season -1974-75
Team -Kansas City-Omaha 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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May 29 4.8 2.2 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 - 0.7 0.9 1.9 .500 - - - 0.3 0.4 .833
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Don May ------- --- ----------