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Player profile · CHI / GSW / NYK / UTA
John Starks
John Starks stats, teams and career impact
#427 all-timeCareer averages · 12.5 PPG · 2.5 RPG · 3.6 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Shooting guard
- Final NBA team
- Utah Jazz
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) · 180 lb (82 kg)
- Born
- August 10, 1965 (61 yrs old)
- College
- Northern Oklahoma College, Oklahoma Junior College, Oklahoma State
- NBA seasons
- 13 seasons · 1988–89 to 2001–02
Career summaryJohn Starks was a shooting guard who played 13 NBA seasons, from 1988–89 through 2001–02.
- Career PPG
- 12.5
- Career RPG
- 2.5
- Career APG
- 3.6
- #33 in 1991–92
- #427 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why John Starks ranks #427 all time
John Starks ranks #427 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #39.3. His full-career value ranks #407, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
866 games · Career Value Rank #407
NBA honorsAll-Star · All-Defense · Sixth ManContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare John Starks 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.
- Vinnie Johnson Similar career path
- Richie Guerin Similar career path
- Steve Smith Similar career path
- Danny Ainge Similar career path
- World B. Free Similar career path
- Kevin Martin Similar career path
- Dan Majerle Same-era comparison
- Steve Kerr Same-era comparison
- Anthony Mason Same-era comparison
- Muggsy Bogues Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, and Utah Jazz
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 41.2%FG%
- Three-point
- 34.0%3P%
- Free throw
- 76.9%FT%
866 career games · 23,514 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
John Starks 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 →
| 2001–02 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 1.1 | -6.02 | UTA | 66 | 1 | 14.1 | 36.8% | 30.5% | 80.5% | #322 | -70.3 |
| 2000–01 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | -3.39 | UTA | 75 | 64 | 28.3 | 39.8% | 35.2% | 80.2% | #277 | -55.3 |
| 1999–00 | 13.9 | 2.7 | 4.9 | -0.42 | CHI/GSW | 37 | 30 | 32.2 | 37.5% | 34.5% | 84.7% | #158 | 37.3 |
| 1998–99 | 13.8 | 3.3 | 4.7 | +1.53 | GSW | 50 | 50 | 33.7 | 37.0% | 29.0% | 74.0% | #65 | 110.2 |
| 1997–98 | 12.9 | 2.8 | 2.7 | +0.45 | NYK | 82 | 10 | 26.7 | 39.3% | 32.7% | 78.7% | #106 | 98.6 |
| 1996–97 | 13.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | +1.54 | NYK | 77 | 1 | 26.5 | 43.1% | 36.9% | 76.9% | #65 | 136.2 |
| 1995–96 | 12.6 | 2.9 | 3.9 | +0.86 | NYK | 81 | 71 | 30.8 | 44.3% | 36.1% | 75.3% | #92 | 135.3 |
| 1994–95 | 15.3 | 2.7 | 5.1 | +0.70 | NYK | 80 | 78 | 34.1 | 39.5% | 35.5% | 73.7% | #93 | 140.0 |
| 1993–94 | 19.0 | 3.1 | 5.9 | +1.67 | NYK | 59 | 54 | 34.9 | 42.0% | 33.5% | 75.4% | #45 | 145.9 |
| 1992–93 | 17.5 | 2.5 | 5.0 | +2.17 | NYK | 80 | 51 | 31.0 | 42.8% | 32.1% | 79.5% | #40 | 203.5 |
| 1991–92 | 13.9 | 2.3 | 3.4 | +2.35 | NYK | 82 | 0 | 25.8 | 44.9% | 34.8% | 77.8% | #33 | 178.5 |
| 1990–91 | 7.6 | 2.1 | 3.3 | +1.04 | NYK | 61 | 10 | 19.2 | 43.9% | 29.0% | 75.2% | #72 | 70.5 |
| 1988–89 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | -3.51 | GSW | 36 | 0 | 8.8 | 40.8% | 38.5% | 65.4% | — | -10.7 |
| Career | 12.5 | 2.5 | 3.6 | — | CHI/GSW/NYK/UTA | 866 | — | 27.2 | 41.2% | 34.0% | 76.9% | — | — |
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.
49.9 composite · lower is better
49.6 average league finish
1,120 total value
Career standing
How John Starks 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 Score49.9
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
- 12
- All-time rank
- #427
Strongest seasons
Every season
John Starks 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
| 2001–02Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 36 | 66 | 929 | -6.02 | 0.6 | #322 | -70.3 | 1st | Standard |
| 2000–01Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 35 | 75 | 2,122 | -3.39 | 15.6 | #277 | -55.3 | 5th | Broad |
| 1999–00Historical Defense Estimate | CHI/GSW | 34 | 37 | 1,190 | -0.42 | 50.9 | #158 | 37.3 | 48th | Broad |
| 1998–99Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 33 | 50 | 1,686 | +1.53 | 76.8 | #65 | 110.2 | 83rd | Broad |
| 1997–98Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 32 | 82 | 2,188 | +0.45 | 66.9 | #106 | 98.6 | 73rd | Broad |
| 1996–97Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 31 | 77 | 2,042 | +1.54 | 79.7 | #65 | 136.2 | 79th | Broad |
| 1995–96Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 30 | 81 | 2,491 | +0.86 | 72.0 | #92 | 135.3 | 76th | Broad |
| 1994–95Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 29 | 80 | 2,725 | +0.70 | 70.2 | #93 | 140.0 | 78th | Broad |
| 1993–94Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 28 | 59 | 2,057 | +1.67 | 84.9 | #45 | 145.9 | 80th | Broad |
| 1992–93Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 27 | 80 | 2,477 | +2.17 | 86.8 | #40 | 203.5 | 86th | Broad |
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 26 | 82 | 2,118 | +2.35 | 88.9 | #33 | 178.5 | 83rd | Broad |
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 25 | 61 | 1,173 | +1.04 | 75.6 | #72 | 70.5 | 63rd | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 23 | 36 | 316 | -3.51 | — | — | -10.7 | — | Limited |
Career movement
John Starks's career impact by season
Peak +2.35 in 1991–92 · 13 seasons · 23,514 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
—’90
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.
John StarksVinnie Johnson
| NBA season | John Starks | Vinnie Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -3.5 | -2.7 |
| 2 | 1.0 | 2.1 |
| 3 | 2.4 | 1.2 |
| 4 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| 5 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| 6 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| 7 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| 8 | 1.5 | 0.4 |
| 9 | 0.5 | -2.2 |
| 10 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| 11 | -0.4 | -1.1 |
| 12 | -3.4 | -1.1 |
| 13 | -6.0 | -2.2 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to John Starks
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.
SG · All-Time Career #432
Vinnie Johnson
94career similarity score
94/100 closest-season score · 1991–92 ↔ 1982–83SG · All-Time Career #91Richie Guerin
93career similarity score
95/100 closest-season score · 1991–92 ↔ 1959–60SG · All-Time Career #462Steve Smith
93career similarity score
91/100 closest-season score · 1991–92 ↔ 1994–95Impact 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 →