Willie Anderson vs. Arvydas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Arvydas Sabonis and Willie Anderson, 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.

Willie Anderson played 9 years in the NBA, 2 more than Arvydas Sabonis, who played 7. Willie Anderson had the first of his seasons in 1988-89, while Arvydas Sabonis had his rookie season in 1995-96. 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
Willie Anderson 9 7 1988-89 to 1996-97
Arvydas Sabonis 7 7 1995-96 to 2002-03

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1988-891995-96
Team San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Anderson 81 33.8 18.6 1.9 3.3 5.1 4.6 1.9 0.8 3.2 3.6 7.9 15.9 .498 0.0 0.3 .190 2.8 3.6 .775
Arvydas Sabonis 73 23.8 14.5 2.0 6.0 8.1 1.8 0.9 1.1 2.1 2.9 5.4 9.9 .545 0.5 1.4 .375 3.2 4.2 .757
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 5 35.4 23.6 2.4 7.8 10.2 1.8 0.8 0.6 2.0 3.4 7.0 16.2 .432 1.0 1.8 .556 8.6 12.0 .717

Season 2
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1989-901996-97
Team San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Spurs Lost West Conf SemisTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Anderson 82 34.0 15.7 1.4 3.1 4.5 4.4 1.4 0.7 2.4 3.1 6.5 13.2 .492 0.1 0.3 .269 2.6 3.5 .748
Arvydas Sabonis 69 25.5 13.4 1.7 6.3 7.9 2.1 0.9 1.2 2.2 2.9 4.8 9.5 .498 0.7 1.9 .371 3.2 4.2 .777
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson 10 37.5 20.5 1.6 3.8 5.4 5.2 0.9 0.4 2.6 4.0 8.7 16.8 .518 0.2 0.5 .400 2.9 3.6 .806
Arvydas Sabonis 4 26.8 11.3 2.0 4.5 6.5 2.3 0.8 0.8 2.3 4.8 4.5 10.5 .429 0.5 2.0 .250 1.8 2.0 .875

Season 3
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1990-911997-98
Team San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Spurs Lost West Conf 1st RdTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Anderson 75 34.6 14.4 0.9 3.8 4.7 4.8 1.1 0.6 2.2 3.0 6.0 13.2 .457 0.1 0.5 .200 2.3 2.8 .798
Arvydas Sabonis 73 32.0 16.0 2.0 7.9 10.0 3.0 0.9 1.1 2.6 3.7 5.6 11.3 .493 0.4 1.6 .261 4.4 5.5 .798
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson 4 39.8 19.0 0.5 4.3 4.8 4.8 1.5 0.5 3.3 4.0 8.3 17.0 .485 0.5 2.5 .200 2.0 3.3 .615
Arvydas Sabonis 4 26.8 12.3 1.8 6.0 7.8 1.5 1.8 0.8 2.5 4.8 4.5 10.0 .450 0.3 0.5 .500 3.0 3.5 .857

Season 4
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1991-921998-99
Team San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Anderson 57 33.1 13.1 1.1 4.2 5.3 5.3 0.9 0.9 2.5 2.6 5.5 12.0 .455 0.2 1.0 .232 1.9 2.4 .775
Arvydas Sabonis 50 27.0 12.1 1.8 6.1 7.9 2.4 0.7 1.3 1.7 2.9 4.6 9.6 .485 0.1 0.5 .292 2.7 3.5 .771
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson ------- --- ----------
Arvydas Sabonis 13 30.1 10.0 0.9 7.8 8.8 2.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 2.7 3.5 8.7 .398 0.1 0.4 .200 3.0 3.3 .907

Season 5
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1992-931999-00
Team San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Spurs Lost West Conf SemisTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Anderson 38 14.7 4.8 0.2 1.3 1.5 2.1 0.4 0.2 1.2 1.4 2.1 4.9 .430 0.0 0.2 .125 0.6 0.7 .786
Arvydas Sabonis 66 25.6 11.8 1.5 6.3 7.8 1.8 0.7 1.2 1.5 2.8 4.6 9.1 .505 0.1 0.3 .368 2.5 3.0 .843
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson 10 21.9 9.5 0.4 1.9 2.3 2.8 0.9 0.2 1.2 2.3 3.7 8.2 .451 0.6 1.1 .545 1.5 1.7 .882
Arvydas Sabonis 16 30.8 11.3 1.2 5.5 6.7 1.9 0.9 0.8 1.6 3.7 4.3 9.4 .453 0.4 1.3 .286 2.4 3.1 .796

Season 6
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1993-942000-01
Team San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Spurs Lost West Conf 1st RdTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Anderson 80 31.1 11.9 0.9 2.2 3.0 4.3 0.9 0.6 1.9 2.3 4.9 10.5 .471 0.3 0.9 .324 1.8 2.1 .848
Arvydas Sabonis 61 21.3 10.1 0.8 4.6 5.4 1.5 0.7 1.0 1.4 2.2 4.0 8.5 .479 0.0 0.2 .067 2.0 2.6 .776
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson 4 26.5 8.3 0.8 1.3 2.0 3.0 1.3 0.5 1.0 1.8 3.5 9.3 .378 0.3 0.3 1.000 1.0 1.8 .571
Arvydas Sabonis 3 35.0 11.3 2.7 5.7 8.3 2.7 0.3 2.3 0.7 4.0 4.7 9.7 .483 0.0 0.7 .000 2.0 2.7 .750

Note: Arvydas Sabonis didn't play in 2001-02.

Season 7
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1994-952002-03
Team San Antonio SpursPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Spurs Lost West Conf FinalsTrail Blazers 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 %
Willie Anderson 38 14.6 4.9 0.4 1.1 1.4 1.4 0.7 0.3 1.0 1.9 2.0 4.3 .469 0.1 0.5 .158 0.8 1.1 .732
Arvydas Sabonis 78 15.5 6.1 1.1 3.2 4.3 1.8 0.8 0.6 1.0 1.8 2.2 4.6 .476 0.0 0.1 .500 1.7 2.1 .787
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson 11 8.8 1.8 0.5 0.6 1.1 0.9 0.5 0.0 0.7 1.1 0.8 1.8 .450 0.0 0.1 .000 0.2 0.3 .667
Arvydas Sabonis 6 14.5 10.0 1.0 3.0 4.0 0.8 0.7 0.7 1.0 2.3 4.0 6.0 .667 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.5 .800

Season 8
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1995-96-
Team Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Knicks 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 %
Willie Anderson 76 27.1 9.8 0.6 2.6 3.2 2.6 1.0 0.8 1.9 3.0 3.8 8.7 .436 0.4 1.6 .283 1.7 2.1 .810
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson 4 16.0 5.3 0.5 1.8 2.3 0.3 1.0 0.0 1.5 2.5 1.8 5.5 .318 0.3 1.5 .167 1.5 1.8 .857
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Willie Anderson Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1996-97-
Team Miami Heat-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Heat 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 %
Willie Anderson 28 10.8 3.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 1.2 0.5 0.1 0.7 1.3 1.0 2.3 .453 0.3 0.7 .421 0.6 0.7 .850
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Anderson 9 13.2 3.7 0.2 1.7 1.9 0.6 0.4 0.2 1.3 2.2 1.2 3.3 .367 0.2 0.9 .250 1.0 1.1 .900
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
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