Damian Lillard
2012–13 to 2024–25 · 13 seasons
NBA player comparison
Damian Lillard vs. Kyrie Irving: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Kyrie Irving ranks higher in career impact
Kyrie Irving
2011–12 to 2024–25 · 14 seasons
Impact comparison
#77Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#51Leads
+7.9Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+8.2Leads
8.3Best 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better5.7Leads
+4,028 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+3,467 pts
3Top-10 impact seasons4Leads
19.6Best 10 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better13.1Leads
Career Impact Rank places Kyrie Irving #51 and Damian Lillard #77. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Damian Lillard 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 calculatedDamian Lillard11.387 · No. 77Kyrie Irving7.673 · No. 51
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.
Damian Lillard
11.387 composite · No. 77 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 62022–23No. 92017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 8.333 | 50% | 4.167 |
| Best 5No. 62022–23No. 92017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112020–21No. 192018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 11.000 | 30% | 3.300 |
| Best 10No. 62022–23No. 92017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112020–21No. 192018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 202016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 222015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 232014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 362024–25No. 402021–22 | 19.600 | 20% | 3.920 |
4.167 + 3.300 + 3.920= 11.387
Kyrie Irving
7.673 composite · No. 51 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 42019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 82012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 5.667 | 50% | 2.833 |
| Best 5No. 42019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 82012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 92018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 7.400 | 30% | 2.220 |
| Best 10No. 42019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 82012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 92018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 182020–21No. 182021–22No. 192013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 192022–23No. 202023–24 | 13.100 | 20% | 2.620 |
2.833 + 2.220 + 2.620= 7.673
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 | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #77 | #51Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finish | 8.3 | 5.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finish | 11.0 | 7.4Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finish | 19.6 | 13.1Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #45Better result for this metric. | #63 |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +7.9 | +8.2Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average impact | +6.9 | +7.4Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average impact | +6.4 | +6.4 |
| Best 10 average impact | +5.0 | +5.3Better result for this metric. |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +4,028 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +3,467 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 0 | 2Better result for this metric. |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 3 | 4Better result for this metric. |
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 | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 900 | 779 |
| Minutes | 32,614 | 26,879 |
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 | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 59.0%Better result for this metric. | 58.4% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 59.5%Better result for this metric. | 58.8% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 43.9% | 47.4%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 37.1% | 39.4%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 89.9%Better result for this metric. | 88.8% |
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 | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 32.0%Better result for this metric. | 30.6% |
| Assists per game | 6.7Better result for this metric. | 5.6 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 11.5% | 11.0%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 6.7% | 7.1%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 4.3Better result for this metric. | 4.1 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.3% | 1.9%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.7% | 1.2%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Damian Lillard | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 25.1Better result for this metric. | 23.7 |
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
Kyrie Irving ranks higher in career impact.
Damian LillardMetricKyrie Irving
#77Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#51Leads
+7.9Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+8.2Leads
+6.4Best 5 average impact+6.4
+4,028 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+3,467 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Kyrie Irving leads every available measure below.
Damian LillardMetricKyrie Irving
559Listed-team regular-season wins642Leads
53.3%Listed-team winning percentage53.8%Leads
350-win team seasons5Leads
060-win team seasons0
10Playoff team seasons10
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.
Damian LillardMetricKyrie Irving
10LeadsPlayoff appearances7
68Playoff games96Leads
25Team playoff wins68Leads
0Finals appearances4Leads
0Championships1Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Damian Lillard leads every available measure below.
Damian LillardMetricKyrie Irving
9All-Star9
0MVP0
7LeadsAll-NBA3
0All-Defense0
0DPOY0
1Rookie of the Year1
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.
Damian LillardKyrie IrvingPeak 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.
Damian LillardNBA seasonKyrie Irving
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
No season
Season 14Observed 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.