Norm Nixon vs. Jayson Tatum Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jayson Tatum and Norm Nixon, 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.

Norm Nixon played 10 years in the NBA, 3 more than Jayson Tatum, who played 7. Norm Nixon had the first of his seasons in 1977-78, while Jayson Tatum had his rookie season in 2017-18. 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
Norm Nixon 10 6 1977-78 to 1988-89
Jayson Tatum 7 7 2017-18 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1977-782017-18
Team Los Angeles LakersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf 1st RdCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 81 34.3 13.7 0.5 2.4 3.0 6.8 1.7 0.1 3.1 3.2 6.1 12.3 .497 - - - 1.4 2.0 .714
Jayson Tatum 80 30.5 13.9 0.6 4.4 5.0 1.6 1.0 0.7 1.4 2.1 5.0 10.4 .475 1.3 3.0 .434 2.7 3.2 .826
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 3 30.7 8.0 1.3 1.7 3.0 5.3 1.3 0.3 1.7 4.3 3.7 8.0 .458 - - - 0.7 1.0 .667
Jayson Tatum 19 35.9 18.5 0.5 3.8 4.4 2.7 1.2 0.5 2.2 2.6 6.5 13.7 .471 1.2 3.7 .324 4.3 5.1 .845

Season 2

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1978-792018-19
Team Los Angeles LakersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf SemisCeltics 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 %
Norm Nixon 82 38.4 17.1 0.6 2.2 2.8 9.0 2.5 0.2 2.8 3.0 7.6 14.0 .542 - - - 1.9 2.5 .775
Jayson Tatum 79 31.1 15.7 0.9 5.2 6.0 2.1 1.1 0.7 1.5 2.1 5.9 13.1 .450 1.5 3.9 .373 2.5 2.9 .855
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 8 40.9 15.4 0.8 2.8 3.5 11.8 1.4 0.0 3.0 4.6 7.0 14.9 .471 - - - 1.4 1.9 .733
Jayson Tatum 9 32.8 15.2 0.8 5.9 6.7 1.9 1.1 0.8 2.0 2.3 5.4 12.4 .438 1.1 3.4 .323 3.2 4.3 .744

Season 3

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1979-802019-20
Team Los Angeles LakersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 82 39.3 17.6 0.6 2.2 2.8 7.8 1.8 0.2 3.5 2.9 7.6 14.7 .516 0.0 0.1 .125 2.4 3.1 .779
Jayson Tatum 66 34.3 23.4 1.0 6.0 7.0 3.0 1.4 0.9 2.3 2.1 8.4 18.6 .450 2.9 7.1 .403 3.8 4.7 .812
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 16 40.5 16.9 0.8 2.7 3.5 7.8 2.0 0.2 3.1 3.7 7.1 14.9 .477 0.1 0.3 .200 2.6 3.2 .804
Jayson Tatum 17 40.6 25.7 1.3 8.7 10.0 5.0 1.0 1.2 2.8 2.4 8.5 19.6 .434 2.8 7.4 .373 5.9 7.2 .813

Season 4

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1980-812020-21
Team Los Angeles LakersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf 1st RdCeltics 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 %
Norm Nixon 79 37.5 17.1 0.8 2.1 2.9 8.8 1.8 0.1 3.6 2.9 7.3 15.3 .476 0.0 0.2 .167 2.5 3.2 .778
Jayson Tatum 64 35.8 26.4 0.8 6.6 7.4 4.3 1.2 0.5 2.7 1.9 9.5 20.6 .459 2.9 7.6 .386 4.6 5.3 .868
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 3 44.3 19.3 0.3 3.3 3.7 8.7 0.3 0.3 1.7 3.0 8.3 16.3 .510 0.0 0.0 - 2.7 3.3 .800
Jayson Tatum 5 37.0 30.6 0.6 5.2 5.8 4.6 1.2 1.6 2.6 3.0 9.4 22.2 .423 2.8 7.2 .389 9.0 9.8 .918

Season 5

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1981-822021-22
Team Los Angeles LakersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionCeltics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 82 36.9 17.6 0.5 1.7 2.1 8.0 1.6 0.1 2.9 3.2 7.7 15.5 .493 0.0 0.1 .250 2.2 2.7 .808
Jayson Tatum 76 35.9 26.9 1.1 6.9 8.0 4.4 1.0 0.6 2.9 2.3 9.3 20.6 .453 3.0 8.6 .353 5.3 6.2 .853
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 14 39.2 20.4 0.9 2.1 3.1 8.1 1.6 0.1 2.4 3.1 8.6 18.1 .478 0.1 0.2 .333 3.1 4.1 .754
Jayson Tatum 24 41.0 25.6 1.0 5.7 6.7 6.2 1.2 0.9 4.2 3.0 8.4 19.7 .426 3.2 8.2 .393 5.7 7.1 .800

Season 6

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1982-832022-23
Team Los Angeles LakersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game NVP
Playoffs Lakers Lost NBA FinalsCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 79 34.3 15.1 0.8 1.8 2.6 7.2 1.3 0.1 3.0 2.2 6.7 14.2 .475 0.0 0.2 .000 1.6 2.1 .744
Jayson Tatum 74 36.9 30.1 1.1 7.7 8.8 4.6 1.1 0.7 2.9 2.2 9.8 21.1 .466 3.2 9.3 .350 7.2 8.4 .854
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 14 38.4 19.0 0.9 2.5 3.4 6.4 1.3 0.1 2.4 2.9 8.1 16.9 .477 0.2 0.5 .429 2.6 3.6 .740
Jayson Tatum 20 40.0 27.2 1.3 9.2 10.5 5.3 1.1 1.1 2.8 2.2 9.3 20.2 .458 2.7 8.2 .323 6.0 6.9 .876

Season 7

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1983-842023-24
Team San Diego ClippersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics TBD
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon 82 37.2 17.0 0.7 1.8 2.5 11.1 1.1 0.0 3.1 2.2 7.2 15.5 .462 0.1 0.6 .239 2.5 3.3 .760
Jayson Tatum 74 35.7 26.9 0.9 7.2 8.1 4.9 1.0 0.6 2.5 2.0 9.1 19.3 .471 3.1 8.2 .376 5.6 6.7 .833
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 10 39.2 24.3 0.6 9.8 10.4 5.8 1.0 0.8 2.1 2.8 7.7 17.9 .430 1.8 6.4 .281 7.1 8.2 .866

Season 8

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1984-85-
Team Los Angeles Clippers-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
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 %
Norm Nixon 81 35.7 17.2 0.7 2.0 2.7 8.8 1.2 0.0 3.4 2.2 7.4 15.8 .465 0.4 1.2 .333 2.1 2.7 .780
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 9

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1985-86-
Team Los Angeles Clippers-
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 %
Norm Nixon 67 31.9 14.6 0.7 2.0 2.7 8.6 1.3 0.0 2.8 2.1 6.0 13.7 .438 0.6 1.8 .347 2.0 2.4 .809
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------

Note: Norm Nixon didn't play in 1986-87 and 1987-88.

Season 10

Norm Nixon Jayson Tatum
Season 1988-89-
Team Los Angeles Clippers-
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 %
Norm Nixon 53 24.9 6.8 0.2 1.2 1.5 6.4 0.9 0.0 2.2 1.3 2.9 7.0 .414 0.2 0.5 .276 0.9 1.2 .738
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Norm Nixon ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------