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Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge stats, teams and career impact
#355 all-timeCareer averages · 11.5 PPG · 2.7 RPG · 4.0 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Shooting guard
- Final NBA team
- Phoenix Suns
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) · 185 lb (84 kg)
- Born
- March 17, 1959 (67 yrs old)
- College
- BYU
- NBA seasons
- 14 seasons · 1981–82 to 1994–95
Career summaryDanny Ainge was a shooting guard who played 14 NBA seasons, from 1981–82 through 1994–95.
- Career PPG
- 11.5
- Career RPG
- 2.7
- Career APG
- 4.0
- #29 in 1990–91
- #355 all-time
Career overview
Why Danny Ainge ranks #355 all time
Danny Ainge ranks #355 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #34.3. His full-career value ranks #274, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
1,042 games · Career Value Rank #274
NBA honorsAll-StarContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Danny Ainge with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Danny Ainge vs. Steve Smith Similar career path
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- Danny Ainge vs. Bill Laimbeer Same-era comparison
- Danny Ainge vs. Sleepy Floyd Same-era comparison
- Danny Ainge vs. Craig Ehlo Same-era comparison
- Danny Ainge vs. James Worthy Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, and Phoenix Suns
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 46.9%FG%
- Three-point
- 37.8%3P%
- Free throw
- 84.6%FT%
1,042 career games · 27,755 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Danny Ainge stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| 1994–95 | 7.7 | 1.5 | 2.8 | -0.09 | PHO | 74 | 1 | 18.6 | 46.0% | 36.4% | 80.8% | #125 | 52.3 |
| 1993–94 | 8.9 | 1.9 | 2.6 | -1.55 | PHO | 68 | 1 | 22.9 | 41.7% | 32.8% | 83.0% | #190 | 13.9 |
| 1992–93 | 11.8 | 2.7 | 3.3 | +0.61 | PHO | 80 | 0 | 27.0 | 46.2% | 40.3% | 84.8% | #89 | 117.5 |
| 1991–92 | 9.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | +1.38 | POR | 81 | 6 | 19.7 | 44.2% | 33.9% | 82.4% | #61 | 111.1 |
| 1990–91 | 11.1 | 2.6 | 3.6 | +2.56 | POR | 80 | 0 | 21.4 | 47.2% | 40.6% | 82.6% | #29 | 163.2 |
| 1989–90 | 17.9 | 4.3 | 6.0 | +1.63 | SAC | 75 | 68 | 36.4 | 43.8% | 37.4% | 83.1% | #48 | 199.4 |
| 1988–89 | 17.5 | 3.5 | 5.5 | +2.47 | BOS/SAC | 73 | 54 | 32.6 | 45.7% | 38.0% | 85.4% | #26 | 219.2 |
| 1987–88 | 15.7 | 3.1 | 6.2 | +1.30 | BOS | 81 | 81 | 37.3 | 49.1% | 41.5% | 87.8% | #48 | 203.2 |
| 1986–87 | 14.8 | 3.4 | 5.6 | +0.74 | BOS | 71 | 66 | 35.2 | 48.6% | 44.3% | 89.7% | #63 | 140.9 |
| 1985–86 | 10.7 | 2.9 | 5.1 | +0.37 | BOS | 80 | 78 | 30.1 | 50.4% | 35.6% | 90.4% | #85 | 120.4 |
| 1984–85 | 12.9 | 3.6 | 5.3 | +0.26 | BOS | 75 | 73 | 34.2 | 52.9% | 26.8% | 86.8% | #93 | 122.7 |
| 1983–84 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 2.3 | -2.58 | BOS | 71 | 3 | 16.3 | 46.0% | 27.3% | 82.1% | #205 | -13.8 |
| 1982–83 | 9.9 | 2.7 | 3.1 | -0.24 | BOS | 80 | 76 | 25.6 | 49.6% | 17.2% | 74.2% | #114 | 78.1 |
| 1981–82 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 1.6 | -3.29 | BOS | 53 | 1 | 10.6 | 35.7% | 29.4% | 86.2% | #226 | -15.3 |
| Career | 11.5 | 2.7 | 4.0 | — | BOS/PHO/POR/SAC | 1042 | — | 26.6 | 46.9% | 37.8% | 84.6% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
What these measures mean
- Era-centered box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average.
- Impact Rate Rank
- The player's place among qualified players in one season.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
43.0 composite · lower is better
42.4 average league finish
1,513 total value
Career standing
How Danny Ainge ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- 261.5
- Qualified seasons
- 14
- All-time rank
- #355
Every season
Danny Ainge advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| 1994–95Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 35 | 74 | 1,374 | -0.09 | 59.9 | #125 | 52.3 | 55th | Broad |
| 1993–94Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 34 | 68 | 1,555 | -1.55 | 35.1 | #190 | 13.9 | 37th | Broad |
| 1992–93Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 33 | 80 | 2,163 | +0.61 | 70.2 | #89 | 117.5 | 74th | Broad |
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | POR | 32 | 81 | 1,595 | +1.38 | 79.2 | #61 | 111.1 | 72nd | Broad |
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | POR | 31 | 80 | 1,710 | +2.56 | 90.4 | #29 | 163.2 | 81st | Broad |
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | SAC | 30 | 75 | 2,727 | +1.63 | 83.6 | #48 | 199.4 | 85th | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | BOS/SAC | 29 | 73 | 2,377 | +2.47 | 90.5 | #26 | 219.2 | 88th | Broad |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 28 | 81 | 3,018 | +1.30 | 81.2 | #48 | 203.2 | 87th | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 27 | 71 | 2,499 | +0.74 | 75.8 | #63 | 140.9 | 77th | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 26 | 80 | 2,407 | +0.37 | 66.9 | #85 | 120.4 | 73rd | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 25 | 75 | 2,564 | +0.26 | 63.6 | #93 | 122.7 | 74th | Broad |
| 1983–84Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 24 | 71 | 1,154 | -2.58 | 17.7 | #205 | -13.8 | 18th | Broad |
| 1982–83Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 23 | 80 | 2,048 | -0.24 | 55.3 | #114 | 78.1 | 63rd | Broad |
| 1981–82Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 22 | 53 | 564 | -3.29 | 11.4 | #226 | -15.3 | 16th | Standard |
Career movement
Danny Ainge's career impact by season
Peak +2.56 in 1990–91 · 14 seasons · 27,755 minutes
The same historical box-score model is used for every season, making the career shape comparable through time. The vertical scale adapts to this player's range and always includes zero.
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
| NBA season | Danny Ainge | Steve Smith |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -3.3 | -1.9 |
| 2 | -0.2 | 0.7 |
| 3 | -2.6 | 1.5 |
| 4 | 0.3 | 2.0 |
| 5 | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| 6 | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| 7 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| 8 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 9 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
| 10 | 2.6 | 0.2 |
| 11 | 1.4 | -0.2 |
| 12 | 0.6 | -1.5 |
| 13 | -1.6 | -1.6 |
| 14 | -0.1 | 0.5 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Danny Ainge
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
Steve Smith
94career similarity score
92/100 closest-season score · 1990–91 ↔ 1998–99SG · All-Time Career #501Byron Scott
94career similarity score
88/100 closest-season score · 1990–91 ↔ 1993–94SG · All-Time Career #563Joe Dumars
93career similarity score
85/100 closest-season score · 1990–91 ↔ 1998–99Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →