Arvydas Sabonis
1995–96 to 2002–03 · 7 seasons
NBA player comparison
Arvydas Sabonis vs. Kerry Kittles: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Arvydas Sabonis ranks higher in career impact
Kerry Kittles
1996–97 to 2004–05 · 8 seasons
Impact comparison
Box impact estimates points per 100 possessions above each season's league average. Higher is better. Career ranks and average league finishes work the other way: lower is better.
#264LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#390
+6.4LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.9
+4.7LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.3
12.7LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better25.7
+1,284 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,559 ptsLeads
1LeadsTop-10 impact seasons0
Career Impact Rank places Arvydas Sabonis #264 and Kerry Kittles #390. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Kerry Kittles had more total career value.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedArvydas Sabonis33.813 · No. 264Kerry Kittles46.773 · No. 390
Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.
Arvydas Sabonis
33.813 composite · No. 264 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 61995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 162002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 12.667 | 50% | 6.333 |
| Best 5No. 61995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 162002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 191996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 16.000 | 30% | 4.800 |
| Best 10No. 61995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 162002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 191996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 261999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 682000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 320 | 113.400 | 20% | 22.680 |
6.333 + 4.800 + 22.680= 33.813
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 320, this player's stored replacement finish.
Kerry Kittles
46.773 composite · No. 390 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 132002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 302001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 25.667 | 50% | 12.833 |
| Best 5No. 132002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 302001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 381999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 30.200 | 30% | 9.060 |
| Best 10No. 132002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 302001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 381999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 432003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 901998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 320 | 124.400 | 20% | 24.880 |
12.833 + 9.060 + 24.880= 46.773
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 320, this player's stored replacement finish.
Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →
Full comparison · Career comparison
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #264Better result for this metric. | #390 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 12.7Better result for this metric. | 25.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 16.0Better result for this metric. | 30.2 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 113.4Better result for this metric. | 124.4 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #344 | #262Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +6.4Better result for this metric. | +4.9 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +5.1Better result for this metric. | +3.7 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +4.7Better result for this metric. | +3.3 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +1,284 pts | +1,559 ptsBetter result for this metric. |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 0 | 0 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 1Better result for this metric. | 0 |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 470 | 507 |
| Minutes | 11,375 | 16,929 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks the better result for a metric, including lower turnover rates. Workload and shot-selection measures stay neutral. These rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 57.4%Better result for this metric. | 52.3% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 56.9%Better result for this metric. | 52.1% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 50.0%Better result for this metric. | 43.9% |
| Three-point percentage | 32.8% | 37.8%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 78.6%Better result for this metric. | 78.0% |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 15.0%Better result for this metric. | 13.3% |
| Assists per game | 2.1 | 2.6Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 14.3% | 8.2%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 17.5%Better result for this metric. | 6.6% |
| Rebounds per game | 7.3Better result for this metric. | 3.9 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.8% | 2.5%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 3.3%Better result for this metric. | 1.0% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Arvydas Sabonis | Kerry Kittles |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 12.0 | 14.1Better result for this metric. |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Regular Season Impact
Arvydas Sabonis ranks higher in career impact.
Arvydas SabonisMetricKerry Kittles
#264LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#390
+6.4LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.9
+4.7LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.3
+1,284 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,559 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Arvydas Sabonis leads every available measure below.
Arvydas SabonisMetricKerry Kittles
333LeadsListed-team regular-season wins301
61.4%LeadsListed-team winning percentage48.2%
3Leads50-win team seasons1
060-win team seasons0
7LeadsPlayoff team seasons4
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Arvydas SabonisMetricKerry Kittles
7LeadsPlayoff appearances4
51Playoff games54Leads
24Team playoff wins32Leads
0Finals appearances2Leads
0Championships0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
No recorded measure separates these careers.
Arvydas SabonisMetricKerry Kittles
Not availableAll-StarNot available
Not availableMVPNot available
Not availableAll-NBANot available
Not availableAll-DefenseNot available
Not availableDPOYNot available
Not availableRookie of the YearNot available
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.
Career Shape Explorer
How the careers developed
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
Arvydas SabonisKerry KittlesPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.
Season-by-season evidenceRead both careers at the same stage
Every observed season keeps its age, era-centered impact estimate, league rank when qualified, career-stage label, and exact evidence link. A missing career point stays missing.
Arvydas SabonisNBA seasonKerry Kittles
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Observed values come from the accepted season comparison record. Historical source qualifications stay attached to affected seasons. Missing means no NBA season exists at that aligned point; it is never interpolated. Missing is not the same as estimated.