The NBA has seen many great scorers across the history of the league. The NBA has also seen a transition in how players typically get their buckets over the years. In the early years of the league, plays were designed to allow scoring in the paint. Today, plays are often designed to set up open shots for three-point shooters.
One thing hasn’t changed over the course of 76 years of the NBA- the best players in the league know how to get buckets. The players on this list certainly know how to put the ball in the basket. In this article, we rank the greatest scoring talents in NBA history.
5. Wilt Chamberlain
Simply for the fact that he was so statistically dominant in his era, Wilt Chamberlain earns a spot on this list. He became the only player in NBA history to score triple digits in a game on March 2, 1962, when he dropped 100 points on the Knicks.
Wilt Chamberlain has more insane scoring records. He once averaged 50.4 points per game in a season. He also is just a few hundredths of a point from averaging the most points per game in NBA history.
4. LeBron James
What makes LeBron James so incredible at basketball is that he is good at every aspect of the game, and he has sustained his level of greatness over his entire career. Although LeBron’s best ability is his passing, he is still one of the greatest scorers in NBA history.
LeBron averages 27.1 points per game for his career. Considering that it is almost inevitable that James will pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer this season, it seems only fitting that LeBron earns a spot on this list.
3. Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant was one of the most hard-working players in NBA history. His determination to become an all-time great helped him become one of the greatest scorers of all time.
Kobe was truly a special NBA talent. His highest scoring average for a single season was 35.4 points per game. Some of his most memorable scoring nights were his 81-point game and his 60 points in the final game of his career.
2. Kevin Durant
As a seven-footer who can shoot from anywhere on the floor, Kevin Durant was destined to become one of the greatest scorers of all-time. With four career-scoring titles, it is safe to say that Durant has become an elite NBA scorer.
Durant makes scoring look so easy. Every time he shoots the ball, it seems like he is going to score. His size allows him to shoot over defenders, which gives the impression that he is unaffected by their presence. At this point in his career, Durant could average 30 points per game in his sleep. If he isn’t impressive enough in the regular season, he steps up his game in the playoffs. Durant might be the best all-around scorer the league has ever seen.
1. Michael Jordan
When it comes to being the greatest scorer of all-time, there is really no debate. Michael Jordan is the obvious choice. He earned 10 scoring titles during his career, the most out of any player in NBA history. Jordan also averaged an all-time-high 30.12 points per game during his career.
In the playoffs, Jordan was even better. He still holds the record for the most points scored in a single game, with 63 points that he dropped on the Celtics. Jordan also averages the most playoff points per game. Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all-time, and his scoring ability is the main reason why.
