Wilt Chamberlain (32 times), Kobe Bryant (6 times), Michael Jordan (5 times), Elgin Baylor (4 times), James Harden (4 times), and Damian Lillard are the only players who have scored 60 or more points on multiple occasions (3 times).
Chamberlain is the all-time leader in 60-point games with 32, followed by Bryant with 6. Jordan is third with 5.
Baylor and Harden are fourth and fifth respectively with 4 each.
Lillard became the first player to score 60 points in a game after he did so against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 13, 2014. He is also one of three players (along with Stephen Curry and Ray Allen) who have reached this milestone twice. The other four players who have done so once are Chamberlain, Bryant, Jordan, and Baylor.
In terms of percentage, it takes about 3.3 minutes per 40-point game to reach 60 points. It takes just over 2 minutes per 40-point game to reach 50 points, and just under 1 minute per 40-point game to reach 40 points.
Check out our StatCast tool for more information about scoring points in basketball.
Only Michael Jordan (eight times), Wilt Chamberlain (four times), Allen Iverson (three times), Jerry West (twice), Donovan Mitchell (twice), Jamal Murray (twice), and Damian Lillard have scored 50 or more points on multiple occasions (twice).
Looking at this list, it's no surprise to see Michael Jordan up here. The question is, how many times did he score 50 or more points in a season? The answer is eight times, which is shown next to his name.
Wilt Chamberlain also appears on this list eight times. And yes, he did score 50 or more points seven times.
Allen Iverson also scores 50 or more points seven times. But he does so with less than five minutes remaining in each game! He finishes with 51 or more points six times.
Jerry West also scores 50 or more points six times. But one of those seasons was when he only played 22 games due to injury. The other five seasons were when he averaged 35.4 points per game.
Donovan Mitchell also scores 50 or more points five times. But one of those seasons was when he only played 65 games due to injury. The other four seasons were when he averaged 28.5 points per game.
Jamal Murray also scores 50 or more points five times.
Only Kobe Bryant (6 times), Michael Jordan (5 times), Elgin Baylor and James Harden (4 times apiece), and Damian Lillard have made numerous appearances (3 times). Carmelo Anthony (62) and LeBron James (61) joined this exclusive club in 2014, breaking a nearly 5-year hiatus since Kobe Bryant scored 61 in 2009.
Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant each have five games with 60 points or more in their careers. During the regular season, Kobe scored 81, 65, 62, 61, and 60 points. Michael Jordan has 69, 64, 63 (in the playoffs), 61, and 61 points.
Chamberlain Chamberlain set the single-game scoring record in 1962, scoring 100 points in a game. Jordan (63) and Baylor (61) are the only players to score at least 60 points in a postseason game, both doing it once. LeBron James is trying to become the first player to score 50 points in a playoff game.
See also: This Man Can Dance!
NBA history is filled with amazing performances that we'll never see again. While there have been many games where multiple people have scored over 20 points, there's only one game where you can find records for most points scored in a single outing. Chuck Chandler got into early foul trouble in this 1962 matchup between the Celtics and Hawks, so Coach Red Auerbach put on a show instead by having Bill Russell score 55 points! That's not just a single game record - it's also a playoff record that still stands today. The next highest scoring game was 2012's double-overtime thriller between the Wizards and Heat where John Wall and Paul Pierce went off for 34 points each - although neither team had more than five players left after those two went to the bench.
Now, let's take a look at some other interesting facts about this game filmic.
Chamberlain, Wilt Wilt Chamberlain owns the all-time marks for total points (4,029) and points per game (50.4) in a season, both of which he set in 1961–62. He's also first in rebounds per game (895) and second in blocks per game (96.1). Only one other player has more than 4,000 career points: LeBron James, who had 4,063 in 2006–07. James is the only other player with more than 3,000 points and 200 rebounds in a season; he did it twice. Charles Barkley and Kevin Durant are the only others to do it once.
James Worthy Charles Barkley is the only other player with 300 blocks and 400 rebounds in a season. He did it in 1992–93 when he had 362 boards and 22 blocks.
Durant Kevin Durant is the only other player with at least 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 50 blocks in a season. He did it in 2015–16 when he had 51 rebounds and 10 blocks per game.
Robert Parish Robert Parish is the only other player with at least 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 50 blocks in a season. He did it in 1999–2000 when he had 52 rebounds and 9.9 blocks per game.
In high school basketball games in the United States since 1913, 19 male and six female players have scored 100 points or more. Heater broke the world mark for high school single-game scoring, not just the US record. He scored 85 points in the second half alone, 55 of which came in the final 10 minutes.
However, it has only happened once in the United States. On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain of the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points against the New York Knicks in Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Chamberlain, Wilt Wilt Chamberlain set the record for most points per game in a season with 50.4 in 1961-62. He accomplished this feat while playing all 80 games of the season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The previous record was 50.0 points per game, set by Dolph Schayes and Bill Sharman in 1955-56. Both players were from the United States, and they played for the New York Knicks and Baltimore Bullets respectively.
Schayes and Sharman both led their teams in scoring, with Schayes finishing first in the NBA voting that year. Neither player used a jump shot, instead relying on putbacks and free throws to score the ball. They are considered by many to be two of the best offensive players never to have won the MVP award.
Other notable players who averaged at least 50 points per game include Oscar Robertson, who did so five times; Jerry West, who did so four times; and Walt Frazier, who did so three times. All four players were part of the 1960s Golden Age of Basketball.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc.
