List of NBA annual scoring leaders
In basketball, points are accumulated through free throws or field goals.[1] The National Basketball Association's (NBA) scoring title is awarded to the player with the highest points per game average in a given season. The scoring title was originally determined by total points scored through the 1968–69 season, after which points per game was used to determine the leader instead.[2] The three-point field goal was introduced in the NBA at the start of the 1979–80 season.[3][4] To qualify for the scoring title, a player must appear in at least 58 games (out of 82). However, a player who appears in fewer than 58 games may qualify as annual scoring leader if his point total would have given him the greatest average, had he appeared in 58 games.[5] For the scoring title, this has been the requirement since the 2013–14 season, with requirements changing several times previously throughout history.[6]
Wilt Chamberlain holds the all-time records for total points scored (4,029) and points per game (50.4) in a season; both records were achieved in the 1961–62 season.[7] He also holds the rookie records for points per game when he averaged 37.6 points in the 1959–60 season.[7] Among active players, James Harden has the highest point total (2,818) and the highest scoring average (36.1) in a season; both were achieved in the 2018–19 season.
Michael Jordan has won the most scoring titles, with ten.[8] Jordan and Chamberlain are the only players to have won seven consecutive scoring titles (this was also Chamberlain's career total).[8] George Gervin, Allen Iverson and Kevin Durant have won four scoring titles in their career,[9] and James Harden, George Mikan, Neil Johnston and Bob McAdoo have achieved it three times. Paul Arizin, Bob Pettit, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid have each won the scoring title twice. Since the 1946–47 season, five players have won both the scoring title and the NBA championship in the same season: Joe Fulks in 1947 with the Philadelphia Warriors, Mikan from 1949 to 1950 with the Minneapolis Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor)[g] in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks, Jordan from 1991 to 1993 and from 1996 to 1998 with the Chicago Bulls, and O'Neal in 2000 with the Los Angeles Lakers.[2][10] Since the introduction of the three-point field goal, O'Neal is the only scoring leader to not have made a three-pointer during the season.[11]
At 21 years and 197 days, Durant is the youngest scoring leader in NBA history,[12] averaging 30.1 points in the 2009–10 season. Stephen Curry led the league with an average of 30.1 points in the 2015–16 season and became the first player to win the title shooting 50–40–90 in a season. Russell Westbrook led the league with an average of 31.6 points in the 2016–17 season, when he also became the second NBA player to average a triple-double in a season. The most recent champion is Luka Dončić.
Key edit
^ | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA | |||||
* | Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||
† | Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a] | |||||
‡ | Denotes player who won the Most Valuable Player award that year | |||||
Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player had been the scoring leader up to and including that season | |||||
G | Guard | F | Forward | C | Center |
Annual leaders edit
Multiple-time leaders edit
See also edit
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball League (United States) season scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual 3-point scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual field goal percentage leaders
Notes edit
- ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years.
- ^ At the start of February 1 of that season.
- ^ The player's primary position is listed first.
- ^ In the 1947–48 season, Joe Fulks averaged the most points (22.1) but had only played in 43 games and totaled 949 points, the second-highest total.[14][15]
- ^ Wilt Chamberlain holds the all-time rookie record for points per game.[7]
- ^ Wilt Chamberlain holds the all-time record for total points scored and points per game in a single season.[7]
- ^ In the 1967–68 season, Oscar Robertson averaged the most points (29.2) but had only played in 65 games and totaled 1,896 points, the sixth-highest total.[44][45]
- ^ Elvin Hayes is the last rookie to lead the league in scoring average.
- ^ In the 1969–70 season, rookie Lew Alcindor had the highest point total (2,361) but was second in scoring average (28.8).[50]
- ^ Before the 1971–72 season, Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[53]
- ^ In the 1977–78 season, George Gervin defeated David Thompson for the scoring title in the closest scoring duel ever (27.21 to 27.15). Thompson scored 73 on the last day of the season and Gervin answered with 63 (Gervin also broke Thompson's record of 32 points set earlier on the same day in the first quarter by scoring a record 33 points in the second quarter).[65][66][67][68] Both Thompson's and Gervin's games were losses.[69]
- ^ In the 1984–85 season, rookie Michael Jordan had the highest point total (2,313) but was third in scoring average (28.2). Bernard King tied for the twelfth-highest point total (1,809) but had the highest scoring average (32.9).[80]
- ^ In the 1985–86 season Alex English had the highest point total (2,414) but was third in scoring average (29.8).[83]
- ^ In the 1993–94 season, David Robinson scored 71 points in the final game of the season to edge Shaquille O'Neal (29.3) for the scoring title.[94]
- ^ In the 1997–98 season, Michael Jordan defeated Shaquille O'Neal for the scoring title in the third-closest race ever (28.7 to 28.3).[101] Jordan, at 35 years and 60 days old, is the oldest scoring leader in NBA history.[102]
- ^ The 1998–99 season was shortened to 50 games due to the league's lockout.[104] The qualification of this season's scoring title is to appear in at least 43 games (out of 50) or to have at least 854 points.[6]
- ^ In the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, Shaquille O'Neal had the highest point total (1,289) but was second in scoring average (26.3).[105]
- ^ In the 2000–01 season, Jerry Stackhouse had the highest point total (2,380) but was second in scoring average (29.8).[109]
- ^ In the 2001–02 season, Paul Pierce had the highest point total (2,144) but was third in scoring average (26.1).[111]
- ^ In the 2002–03 season, Kobe Bryant had the highest point total (2,461) but was second in scoring average (30.0).[113]
- ^ In the 2003–04 season, Kevin Garnett had the highest point total (1,987) but was third in scoring average (24.2).[116]
- ^ In the 2007–08 season, Kobe Bryant had the highest point total (2,323) but was second in scoring average (28.3).[118]
- ^ In the 2009–10 season, Kevin Durant defeated LeBron James for the scoring title (30.1 to 29.7).[121] Durant, at 21 years and 197 days old, is the youngest scoring leader in NBA history.[12]
- ^ The 2011–12 season was shortened to 66 games due to the league's lockout.[123] The qualification of this season's scoring title is to appear in at least 56 games (out of 66) or to have at least 1127 points.[6]
- ^ In the 2011–12 season, Kevin Durant defeated Kobe Bryant for the scoring title in the second-closest scoring race ever (28.03 to 27.86).[101][124] Bryant, who needed to score 38 points in the final game to win, decided to sit out.[124]
- ^ In the 2012–13 season, Kevin Durant had the highest point total (2,280) but was second in scoring average (28.1).[125]
- ^ In the 2014–15 season, James Harden had the highest point total (2,217) but was second in scoring average (27.4).[127]
- ^ In the 2015–16 season, James Harden had the highest point total (2,376) but was second in scoring average (29.0).[129]
- ^ In the 2017–18 season, LeBron James had the highest point total (2,251) but was third in scoring average (27.5).[131]
- ^ In the 2021–22 season, Trae Young had the highest point total (2,155) but was fourth in scoring average (28.4).[133]
- ^ In the 2022–23 season, Jayson Tatum had the highest point total (2,225) but was sixth in scoring average (30.1).[135]
References edit
- General
- "Yearly Leaders and Records for Points Per Game". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
- "Yearly Leaders and Records for Points". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
- Specific