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Player profile · DAL / LAC / NYK / SDC / SEA / UTA
James Donaldson
James Donaldson stats, teams and career impact
#636 all-timeCareer averages · 8.6 PPG · 7.8 RPG · 0.8 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Center
- Final NBA team
- Utah Jazz
- Height / weight
- 7 ft 2 in (218 cm) · 275 lb (125 kg)
- Born
- August 16, 1957 (69 yrs old)
- College
- Washington State
- NBA seasons
- 14 seasons · 1980–81 to 1994–95
Career summaryJames Donaldson was a center who played 14 NBA seasons, from 1980–81 through 1994–95.
- Career PPG
- 8.6
- Career RPG
- 7.8
- Career APG
- 0.8
- #40 in 1981–82
- #636 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why James Donaldson ranks #636 all time
James Donaldson ranks #636 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #55.0. His full-career value ranks #505, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
957 games · Career Value Rank #505
NBA honorsAll-StarContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare James Donaldson with…
Ten suggested matchups, selected from familiar debates, similar careers, and players from the same era. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Mike Gminski Similar career path
- Leroy Ellis Similar career path
- Michael Cage Similar career path
- Serge Ibaka Similar career path
- Grant Long Similar career path
- Zydrunas Ilgauskas Similar career path
- Orlando Woolridge Same-era comparison
- Bill Cartwright Same-era comparison
- Kurt Rambis Same-era comparison
- Rod Higgins Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Seattle SuperSonics, San Diego Clippers, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 57.1%FG%
- Three-point
- —3P%
- Free throw
- 73.2%FT%
957 career games · 26,222 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
James Donaldson 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 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 0.3 | -3.02 | UTA | 43 | 40 | 14.3 | 59.5% | — | 71.0% | #253 | -12.1 |
| 1992–93 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 0.2 | -6.50 | UTA | 6 | 1 | 15.7 | 57.1% | — | 55.6% | — | -8.5 |
| 1991–92 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 0.6 | -2.77 | DAL/NYK | 58 | 32 | 18.5 | 45.7% | — | 70.9% | #240 | -16.2 |
| 1990–91 | 10.0 | 8.9 | 0.8 | -1.86 | DAL | 82 | 82 | 34.1 | 53.2% | — | 72.1% | #204 | 7.5 |
| 1989–90 | 9.1 | 8.6 | 0.8 | -1.68 | DAL | 73 | 73 | 31.0 | 53.9% | — | 70.0% | #186 | 14.5 |
| 1988–89 | 9.1 | 10.8 | 0.7 | +0.14 | DAL | 53 | 53 | 32.9 | 57.3% | — | 76.6% | #92 | 74.8 |
| 1987–88 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 0.8 | -0.24 | DAL | 81 | 81 | 31.1 | 55.8% | — | 77.8% | #109 | 89.8 |
| 1986–87 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 0.8 | +0.90 | DAL | 82 | 82 | 36.9 | 58.6% | — | 81.2% | #60 | 183.7 |
| 1985–86 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 1.2 | -0.12 | DAL/LAC | 83 | 78 | 32.3 | 55.8% | — | 80.3% | #113 | 107.3 |
| 1984–85 | 11.3 | 8.1 | 0.6 | -0.96 | LAC | 82 | 58 | 29.2 | 63.7% | — | 74.9% | #141 | 52.2 |
| 1983–84 | 11.8 | 7.9 | 1.1 | +0.13 | SDC | 82 | 67 | 30.8 | 59.6% | — | 76.1% | #93 | 113.4 |
| 1982–83 | 8.9 | 6.1 | 1.2 | +0.72 | SEA | 82 | 11 | 21.8 | 58.3% | — | 68.8% | #75 | 104.8 |
| 1981–82 | 8.1 | 6.0 | 0.6 | +1.54 | SEA | 82 | 1 | 20.9 | 60.9% | — | 62.9% | #40 | 126.2 |
| 1980–81 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 0.6 | +1.01 | SEA | 68 | 0 | 14.4 | 54.2% | — | 59.4% | #65 | 61.6 |
| Career | 8.6 | 7.8 | 0.8 | — | DAL/LAC/NYK/SDC/SEA/UTA | 957 | — | 27.4 | 57.1% | — | 73.2% | — | — |
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.
66.9 composite · lower is better
66.4 average league finish
899 total value
Career standing
How James Donaldson 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
Career Composite Score66.9
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
- —
- Qualified seasons
- 13
- All-time rank
- #636
Strongest seasons
Every season
James Donaldson 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 | UTA | 37 | 43 | 613 | -3.02 | 18.4 | #253 | -12.1 | 25th | Standard |
| 1992–93Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 35 | 6 | 94 | -6.50 | — | — | -8.5 | — | Limited |
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | DAL/NYK | 34 | 58 | 1,075 | -2.77 | 17.3 | #240 | -16.2 | 19th | Broad |
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 33 | 82 | 2,800 | -1.86 | 30.2 | #204 | 7.5 | 32nd | Broad |
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 32 | 73 | 2,265 | -1.68 | 35.5 | #186 | 14.5 | 39th | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 31 | 53 | 1,746 | +0.14 | 65.4 | #92 | 74.8 | 60th | Broad |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 30 | 81 | 2,523 | -0.24 | 56.8 | #109 | 89.8 | 67th | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 29 | 82 | 3,028 | +0.90 | 77.0 | #60 | 183.7 | 86th | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | DAL/LAC | 28 | 83 | 2,682 | -0.12 | 55.9 | #113 | 107.3 | 69th | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 27 | 82 | 2,392 | -0.96 | 44.7 | #141 | 52.2 | 51st | Broad |
| 1983–84Historical Defense Estimate | SDC | 26 | 82 | 2,525 | +0.13 | 62.9 | #93 | 113.4 | 71st | Broad |
| 1982–83Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 25 | 82 | 1,789 | +0.72 | 70.8 | #75 | 104.8 | 68th | Broad |
| 1981–82Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 24 | 82 | 1,710 | +1.54 | 84.6 | #40 | 126.2 | 77th | Broad |
| 1980–81Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 23 | 68 | 980 | +1.01 | 74.2 | #65 | 61.6 | 53rd | Standard |
Career movement
James Donaldson's career impact by season
Peak +1.54 in 1981–82 · 14 seasons · 26,222 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.
Era-centered box impactMinutes
—’94
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
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.
James DonaldsonMike Gminski
| NBA season | James Donaldson | Mike Gminski |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.0 | -1.5 |
| 2 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| 3 | 0.7 | 1.8 |
| 4 | 0.1 | -0.3 |
| 5 | -1.0 | 0.7 |
| 6 | -0.1 | 2.0 |
| 7 | 0.9 | -0.7 |
| 8 | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| 9 | 0.1 | -0.0 |
| 10 | -1.7 | -1.0 |
| 11 | -1.9 | -1.7 |
| 12 | -2.8 | -1.8 |
| 13 | -6.5 | -4.8 |
| 14 | -3.0 | -4.7 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to James Donaldson
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.
C · All-Time Career #595
Mike Gminski
93career similarity score
92/100 closest-season score · 1981–82 ↔ 1982–83C · All-Time Career #297Leroy Ellis
92career similarity score
86/100 closest-season score · 1981–82 ↔ 1968–69C · All-Time Career #697Michael Cage
92career similarity score
84/100 closest-season score · 1981–82 ↔ 1984–85Impact 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 →