LaMelo Ball vs. Tony Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Tony Smith 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, 5 less than Tony Smith, who played 9. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Tony Smith had his rookie season in 1990-91. 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
Tony Smith 9 6 1990-91 to 2000-01

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season 2020-211990-91
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA 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
Tony Smith 64 10.9 3.7 0.4 0.7 1.1 2.1 0.4 0.2 1.1 1.3 1.5 3.4 .441 0.0 0.1 .000 0.6 0.9 .702
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 7 5.7 2.0 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.9 .462 0.0 0.0 - 0.3 0.4 .667

Season 2

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season 2021-221991-92
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers 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 %
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
Tony Smith 63 13.0 4.4 0.5 0.7 1.2 1.7 0.6 0.1 0.8 1.4 1.8 4.5 .399 0.0 0.2 .000 0.8 1.2 .653
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 4 10.0 1.8 0.3 0.3 0.5 1.3 1.0 0.0 0.8 1.3 0.8 2.5 .300 0.0 0.5 .000 0.3 0.5 .500

Season 3

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season 2022-231992-93
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers 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 %
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
Tony Smith 55 13.7 6.0 0.8 0.7 1.6 1.1 0.9 0.1 0.7 1.3 2.4 5.0 .484 0.0 0.2 .182 1.1 1.5 .756
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 5 14.6 6.8 1.0 0.6 1.6 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.6 2.8 2.6 5.0 .520 0.4 0.8 .500 1.2 1.8 .667

Season 4

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season 2023-241993-94
Team Charlotte HornetsLos Angeles Lakers
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 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
Tony Smith 73 22.2 8.8 1.5 1.2 2.7 2.0 0.8 0.2 1.0 1.8 3.7 8.5 .441 0.2 0.7 .320 1.2 1.6 .714
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith ------- --- ----------

Season 5

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season -1994-95
Team -Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Lakers 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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 61 16.8 5.6 0.7 1.0 1.8 1.7 0.8 0.1 0.8 1.8 2.2 5.1 .427 0.5 1.5 .352 0.7 1.0 .698
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 6 4.5 1.5 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.2 0.5 2.2 .231 0.5 1.7 .300 0.0 0.3 .000

Season 6

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season -1995-96
Team -Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Heat 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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 59 15.9 5.1 0.5 1.1 1.6 2.6 0.6 0.2 1.1 1.8 2.0 4.6 .423 0.6 2.0 .328 0.5 0.8 .609
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 3 20.3 7.3 1.0 0.3 1.3 2.7 1.3 0.0 1.0 2.3 3.0 6.3 .474 1.3 3.3 .400 0.0 0.0 -

Season 7

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season -1996-97
Team -Charlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Hornets 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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 69 18.7 5.0 0.6 0.8 1.4 2.2 0.7 0.3 1.1 1.6 2.0 4.9 .409 0.5 1.4 .323 0.6 0.9 .644
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 2 4.5 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 1.5 0.5 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.5 .000 0.5 1.0 .500

Season 8

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season -1997-98
Team -Milwaukee Bucks
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 ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 7 11.4 2.7 0.6 0.4 1.0 1.4 0.7 0.3 1.3 1.0 1.1 3.4 .333 0.0 0.6 .000 0.4 0.6 .750
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith ------- --- ----------

Note: Tony Smith didn't play in 1998-99 and 1999-00.

Season 9

LaMelo Ball Tony Smith
Season -2000-01
Team -Atlanta Hawks
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 ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith 6 13.0 2.8 0.3 0.2 0.5 1.7 1.2 0.0 1.5 2.0 1.3 3.8 .348 0.0 0.3 .000 0.2 0.3 .500
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Tony Smith ------- --- ----------