Scoring is the most essential part of basketball and throughout NBA history there have been incredible scorers. Who are some of the greatest to ever score the ball?
Criteria
The way the list works is each scorer is ranked in several different categories. These categories include career points per game, career high in points, field goal percentage/attempts, career high in points per game, all-time scoring placement, playoff career high, all-time playoff points placement, three-point percentage/attempts, free-throw percentage/attempts, scoring titles, and the way they would score.
5. James Harden
The one-time MVP is a well-gifted scorer. For his career, Harden averaged 24.1 points per game shooting 44% from the field on 16.2 attempts and 36% from three on 7.5 attempts. During his prime, Harden was undoubtedly the best scorer in the league winning three consecutive scoring titles. It was during the 2018-19 season when Harden showed off just how skillful of a scorer he is. 36.1 points on 44% shooting on 24.5 attempts and 36% from three on 13.2 attempts. Those 36.1 points per game are the seventh-highest all-time regular season points per game. The next current NBA player on that list is the fifteenth spot which is also occupied by Harden.
What made Harden such a deadly scorer was his repertoire of moves, most notably his step-back. Harden was also a master at getting to the free-throw line. For his career harden is an 86% free-throw shooter attempting 8.3 a game. During his nine seasons in Houston, he had seven seasons where he averaged double-digit free-throw attempts. His methods of getting to the line may have been questionable and frustrating, but he showed that he is a reliable free-throw shooter.
Back to his 2018-19 season, Harden had one of the greatest scoring runs of all time. For 32 straight games, James Harden had at least 30 points. That is the second most in NBA history. In that season as well he scored a career-high 61 points. Harden is currently 20th on the all-time scoring list with 25,885 points.
In the regular season he's great, however, in the playoffs, he seems to disappear.
For his playoff career, Harden averages 22.7 points shooting 42% from the field on 16 attempts and 34% from three on 7.4 attempts. His playoff career high is 45 points scoring that in the 2014-15 and 2022-23 playoffs. James Harden is fifteenth in all-time playoff points with 3,764 points. His free-throw attempts may dip (7.5 for his playoff career), but he still shoots at an incredible 87%.
4. Lebron James
Now many people will think this is too high for Lebron James, but time and time again he has shown he is a great scorer. For his career, Lebron has averaged 27.1 points per game shooting 50% on 19.6 attempts and 34% from three on 4.6 attempts. He is a one-time scoring champ. In the 2007-08 season, he averaged 30 points shooting 48% on 21.9 attempts and 31% from three on 4.8 attempts. Lebron wasn't the best free-throw shooter only shooting 73% for his career on 7.6 attempts.
People will say Lebron shouldn't be this high because he mainly drives into the paint to score. While that is true, Lebron has other ways to score. For example, his most recent way of scoring is his now-famous look-down step-back three.
Lebron may not be as skilled of a scorer as the other guys on this list, but that hasn't stopped him from breaking countless scoring records. A few of these records include the all-time scoring leader (40,474), all-time playoff scoring leader (8,162), the longest streak of averaging 25+ points in a season (20 and counting), and the longest streak of scoring at least 10 points in a game (1209 games).
He has a career-high of 61 points that he scored in the 2013-14 season and a playoff career-high of 51 points during the 2017-18 playoffs. Speaking of the playoffs, for his playoff career, Lebron has averaged 28.4 points per game shooting 49% on 20.5 attempts and 33% from three on 4.9 attempts. His free-throw accuracy isn't much different shooting 74% on 8.6 attempts.
3. Kobe Bryant
One of the greatest shooting guards in history, Kobe is also one of the greatest scorers. A two-time scoring champion, Kobe valued scoring the ball. For his career, he averaged 25 points shooting 44% on 19.5 attempts and 32% on 4.1 attempts. His career high in points per game was during the 2005-06 season when he averaged 35.4 points shooting 45% on 27.2 attempts and 34% on 6.5 attempts. In that same season, Kobe would score the second most points in a single game scoring 81 points. Kobe also was not a bad free-throw shooter. Averaging 83% on 7.4 attempts.
Kobe had many ways to score, but his most iconic way was his post fadeaway which he gained from Michael Jordan. He's ironically above his idol on the all-time scoring list in fourth place with 33,643 points.
For his playoff career, Kobe averaged 25.6 points shooting 44% on 20.5 attempts and 33% from three on 4 attempts. He has a playoff career-high of 50 points during the 2005-06 playoffs. He shot 81% from the free-throw line on 7.4 attempts during his playoff career. Kobe is fourth all-time in playoff points with 5,640.
2. Kevin Durant
This may also be another controversial placement, but throughout his career, Kevin Durant has shown how lethal of a scorer he is. For his career he averaged 27.3 points shooting 50% on 18.7 attempts and 38% from the field on 4.9 attempts. For his career Durant shoots 88% from the free-throw line on 7.5 attempts. Durant is a four time scoring champion with career high in points being in the 2013-14 season where he averaged 32 points shooting 50% on 20.8 attempts and 39% from three on 6.1 attempts. That season also being his one and only MVP season.
Not only is Durant the most efficient scorer on this list he is also the most skilled scorer. With his height he is able to shoot over most defenders with a variety of moves mainly with his pull-up jump shot. Durant is also the only player on this list to be a part of the exclusive 50/40/90 club.
Durant has the lowest career high on this list scoring 55 points in the 2021-22 season. He's in the eighth spot on the all-time scoring list with 28,924 points.
For his playoff career Durant averages 29.3 points shooting 47% on 20.8 attempts and 35% from three on 6.1 attempts. Just like his field goal and three point percentage his free-throw percentage also slightly dips just shooting 86% on 8.5 attempts. This isn't to say he is a playoff disappointment because he does show up in the playoffs. His playoff career high was during the 2018-19 playoffs when he scored 50 points. He's seventh all0time in playoff points with 4,985 points.
1. Michael Jordan
The greatest scorer off all-time is without a doubt Michael Jordan. For his career he averaged an insane 30.1 points (number one all time) shooting 49% on 22.9 attempts and 32% from three on 1.7 attempts. A record 10 scoring titles Jordan was always a threat on the offensive end. His career high in points per game was during the the 1986-87 season when he averaged 37.1 points shooting 48% on 27.8 attempts and 18% from three on 0.8 attempts. That places him fifth all-time in highest season points per game average.
Jordan had many moves, but his most iconic way of scoring has to be his post fadeaway. He also was not a bad free-throw shooter averaging 83% on 8.2 attempts for his career. He has a career high of 69 points. Michael Jordan is fifth all-time in career points with 32,292 points.
Jordan's playoff scoring maybe more impressive than his regular season scoring. For his playoff career Jordan averaged 33.4 points on 48% on 25.1 attempts and 33% from three on 2.5 attempts. He shot 82% from the free-throw line on 9.9 attempts. He has many playoff scoring records. Some include most points in a playoff game (63), most points per game in a playoff series (43.7), and most points per game in a finals series (41). He's second all-time in playoff points with 5,987 points.
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