Yao Ming vs. Gary Neal Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Gary Neal and Yao Ming, 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.

Yao Ming played 8 years in the NBA, 1 more than Gary Neal, who played 7. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Gary Neal had his rookie season in 2010-11. 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
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11
Gary Neal 7 4 2010-11 to 2016-17

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Gary Neal
Season 2002-032010-11
Team Houston RocketsSan Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlaySpurs 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 %
Yao Ming 82 29.0 13.5 2.4 5.8 8.2 1.7 0.4 1.8 2.1 2.8 4.9 9.8 .498 0.0 0.0 .500 3.7 4.5 .811
Gary Neal 80 21.1 9.8 0.3 2.2 2.5 1.2 0.3 0.1 1.0 1.9 3.6 7.9 .451 1.6 3.9 .419 1.1 1.3 .808
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Gary Neal 6 18.5 7.7 0.3 2.7 3.0 0.8 0.2 0.2 0.3 1.8 2.8 7.7 .370 0.8 3.2 .263 1.2 1.2 1.000

Season 2
Yao Ming Gary Neal
Season 2003-042011-12
Team Houston RocketsSan Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdSpurs 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 %
Yao Ming 82 32.8 17.5 2.4 6.6 9.0 1.5 0.3 1.9 2.5 3.3 6.5 12.5 .522 0.0 0.0 .000 4.4 5.4 .809
Gary Neal 56 21.5 9.9 0.2 1.9 2.1 2.1 0.5 0.0 1.1 1.3 3.8 8.7 .436 1.5 3.5 .419 0.9 1.1 .781
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 5 37.6 15.0 2.2 5.2 7.4 1.8 0.4 1.4 2.6 4.0 6.2 13.6 .456 0.0 0.0 - 2.6 3.4 .765
Gary Neal 14 15.5 7.5 0.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 0.1 0.0 0.8 1.5 2.8 5.9 .476 1.1 2.6 .444 0.8 0.9 .846

Season 3
Yao Ming Gary Neal
Season 2004-052012-13
Team Houston RocketsSan Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdSpurs Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 80 30.6 18.3 2.6 5.8 8.4 0.8 0.4 2.0 2.5 3.7 6.7 12.2 .552 0.0 0.0 - 4.9 6.2 .783
Gary Neal 68 21.8 9.5 0.2 1.9 2.1 1.9 0.4 0.0 1.0 1.4 3.6 8.8 .412 1.3 3.7 .355 0.9 1.1 .865
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 7 31.9 21.4 3.3 4.4 7.7 0.7 0.3 2.7 2.7 4.4 7.9 12.0 .655 0.0 0.0 - 5.7 7.9 .727
Gary Neal 21 18.6 6.8 0.0 2.1 2.1 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.6 1.6 2.5 6.4 .385 1.1 3.1 .348 0.8 0.8 1.000

Season 4
Yao Ming Gary Neal
Season 2005-062013-14
Team Houston RocketsMilwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayBobcats 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 %
Yao Ming 57 34.2 22.3 2.6 7.6 10.2 1.5 0.5 1.6 2.6 3.4 8.2 15.8 .519 0.0 0.0 .000 5.9 6.9 .853
Gary Neal 52 21.4 10.5 0.2 1.5 1.7 1.6 0.3 0.0 1.2 1.3 3.7 9.1 .410 1.3 3.5 .378 1.8 2.0 .895
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Gary Neal 4 26.0 11.3 0.8 1.3 2.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 2.3 4.5 12.8 .353 1.0 4.5 .222 1.3 1.8 .714

Season 5
Yao Ming Gary Neal
Season 2006-072014-15
Team Houston RocketsCharlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets 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 %
Yao Ming 48 33.8 25.0 2.1 7.3 9.4 2.0 0.4 2.0 3.5 3.3 8.8 17.1 .516 0.0 0.0 .000 7.4 8.6 .862
Gary Neal 54 22.1 10.1 0.3 2.1 2.4 1.9 0.4 0.0 1.2 1.6 3.5 9.3 .374 0.9 3.0 .305 2.2 2.5 .867
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 7 37.1 25.1 3.3 7.0 10.3 0.9 0.1 0.7 4.7 3.9 7.9 17.9 .440 0.0 0.0 - 9.4 10.7 .880
Gary Neal ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Yao Ming Gary Neal
Season 2007-082015-16
Team Houston RocketsWashington Wizards
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
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 %
Yao Ming 55 37.2 22.0 3.1 7.7 10.8 2.3 0.5 2.0 3.3 3.1 7.9 15.5 .507 0.0 0.0 .000 6.3 7.4 .850
Gary Neal 40 20.2 9.8 0.3 1.8 2.1 1.2 0.5 0.0 0.7 1.4 3.8 8.1 .465 1.0 2.5 .410 1.2 1.4 .855
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Gary Neal ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Yao Ming Gary Neal
Season 2008-092016-17
Team Houston RocketsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 77 33.6 19.7 2.6 7.2 9.9 1.8 0.4 1.9 3.0 3.3 7.4 13.4 .548 0.0 0.0 1.000 4.9 5.7 .866
Gary Neal 2 9.0 2.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 3.5 .000 0.0 1.0 .000 2.0 2.0 1.000
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 9 35.9 17.1 2.1 8.8 10.9 1.0 0.4 1.2 1.9 3.0 6.0 11.0 .545 0.0 0.0 - 5.1 5.7 .902
Gary Neal ------- --- ----------

Note: Yao Ming didn't play in 2009-10.

Season 8
Yao Ming Gary Neal
Season 2010-11-
Team Houston Rockets-
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 %
Yao Ming 5 18.2 10.2 1.4 4.0 5.4 0.8 0.0 1.6 1.4 2.6 3.6 7.4 .486 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 3.2 .938
Gary Neal ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Gary Neal ------- --- ----------
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