The National Basketball Association (NBA) has seen some of the greatest athletes in the world grace its courts. Some of these athletes became legends of the sport by excelling in their roles as scorers. From the days of Wilt Chamberlain to the present reign of LeBron James, the NBA has witnessed some of the most prolific scorers in history.
Wilt Chamberlain set the bar high for all scorers who followed him. He was the first player to score 100 points in a single game and averaged 30.1 points per game over his 14-year career. He retired with a total of 31,419 points, a record that stood for almost 20 years.
The legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with a total of 38,387 points. He played for 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989. Abdul-Jabbar is also the only player to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award six times.
The magnificent Michael Jordan is another name that comes to mind when talking about the top scorers in NBA history. Jordan is widely considered the greatest player of all time and is known for his mesmerizing scoring abilities. Jordan’s career average of 30.1 points per game is second-best to Wilt Chamberlain’s record. He scored a total of 32,292 points in his 15-year career.
Kobe Bryant was one of the most lethal scorers in the NBA’s modern era. He retired with a total of 33,643 points, good for third on the all-time list. Bryant’s career was cut short due to injury, but his scoring prowess was never in doubt. He is the only player in NBA history to have two 60-point games in his final season.
LeBron James, who is still active, is already among the top scorers in NBA history. He has scored a total of 35,367 points in his 18-year career as of 2021. James is known for his all-around game, but his scoring prowess is often overlooked. He is expected to pass Karl Malone for the second spot on the all-time scoring list before he hangs up his boots.
The NBA has seen a plethora of talented scorers over the years, and the five players mentioned above are just a few of the all-time greats. The game has evolved, and scoring records are being broken at a much faster pace than before. Still, the names of Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, Bryant, and James will always be etched in NBA history. These players have inspired generations of basketball players and have given us moments of sheer joy and ecstasy on the court.