Yao Ming vs. Ralph Sampson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ralph Sampson 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

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 less than Ralph Sampson, who played 9. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Ralph Sampson had his rookie season in 1983-84. 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
Ralph Sampson 9 4 1983-84 to 1991-92

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season 2002-031983-84
Team Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement 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 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
Ralph Sampson 82 32.8 21.0 3.6 7.6 11.1 2.0 0.9 2.4 3.6 4.1 8.7 16.7 .523 0.0 0.0 .250 3.5 5.3 .661
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season 2003-041984-85
Team Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game NVP
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdRockets 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 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
Ralph Sampson 82 37.6 22.1 2.8 7.6 10.4 2.7 1.0 2.0 4.0 3.7 9.2 18.3 .502 0.0 0.1 .000 3.7 5.5 .676
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
Ralph Sampson 5 38.6 21.2 5.0 11.6 16.6 1.4 0.4 1.6 3.4 4.6 8.6 20.0 .430 0.2 0.2 1.000 3.8 7.4 .514

Season 3
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season 2004-051985-86
Team Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdRockets 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
Ralph Sampson 79 36.3 18.9 3.3 7.9 11.1 3.6 1.3 1.6 3.6 3.9 7.9 16.2 .488 0.0 0.2 .133 3.1 4.8 .641
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
Ralph Sampson 20 37.1 20.0 3.3 7.5 10.8 4.0 1.5 1.8 3.6 4.0 7.8 15.1 .518 0.1 0.1 1.000 4.3 5.9 .729

Season 4
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season 2005-061986-87
Team Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayRockets 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 %
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
Ralph Sampson 43 30.8 15.6 2.0 6.6 8.7 2.8 0.9 1.3 2.9 3.9 6.4 13.2 .489 0.0 0.1 .000 2.7 4.4 .624
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson 10 33.0 18.6 2.7 6.1 8.8 2.1 0.2 1.2 3.1 4.7 7.5 14.6 .514 0.1 0.2 .500 3.5 4.3 .814

Season 5
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season 2006-071987-88
Team Houston RocketsHouston Rockets, Golden State Warriors
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
Ralph Sampson 48 34.6 15.6 2.9 6.7 9.6 2.5 0.9 1.8 3.6 3.4 6.2 14.2 .438 0.0 0.2 .182 3.1 4.1 .760
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
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season 2007-081988-89
Team Houston RocketsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayWarriors 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 %
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
Ralph Sampson 61 17.8 6.4 1.7 3.3 5.0 1.3 0.5 1.1 1.5 2.8 2.7 6.0 .449 0.0 0.1 .375 1.0 1.6 .653
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson 3 14.3 6.7 2.0 2.7 4.7 0.3 0.3 0.7 1.3 2.7 3.0 7.3 .409 0.0 1.3 .000 0.7 1.3 .500

Season 7
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season 2008-091989-90
Team Houston RocketsSacramento Kings
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
Ralph Sampson 26 16.0 4.2 0.4 2.8 3.2 1.1 0.5 0.8 1.3 2.5 1.8 5.0 .372 0.0 0.2 .250 0.5 0.9 .522
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
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

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

Season 8
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season 2010-111990-91
Team Houston RocketsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards 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 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
Ralph Sampson 25 13.9 3.0 1.6 2.8 4.4 0.7 0.4 0.7 1.1 2.2 1.4 3.7 .366 0.0 0.2 .200 0.2 0.8 .263
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Yao Ming Ralph Sampson
Season -1991-92
Team -Washington Bullets
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 %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson 10 10.8 2.2 1.1 1.9 3.0 0.4 0.3 0.8 1.0 1.4 0.9 2.9 .310 0.0 0.2 .000 0.4 0.6 .667
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Ralph Sampson ------- --- ----------
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