Monday, March 17, 2014

NBA HISTORY: STATISTICS ABOUT POINTS IN THE REGULAR SEASON.

Most impressive records in NBA history about points in the regular season.

I have begun a series of articles about historical records on the major statistics in NBA history (points, assists, rebounds…) while looking at which current player could eventually challenge these records over his career.


A. TOTAL POINTS.
I looked at players that reached the 2500 points per season. Only 14 matched that number since 1946. Two players easily lead this statistic with Wilt Chamberlain reaching this benchmark 7 times and Michael Jordan 6 times. The first player to reach this threshold was Wilt Chamberlain in 1960. The most recent player who achieved it was Kobe Bryant in 2006.
Two other players recently approached this benchmark. The first, Lebron James, did it with Cleveland in 2006 with 2478 points (when he was the only go player within his team). The second, Kevin Durant, reached 2472 points in 2010.

a. In the regular season; from 1946-47 to 2013-14; requiring Points >= 2500; sorted by most seasons matching criteria.
Rk
Player
From
To
Count 
1
1960
1966
7
2
1987
1993
6
3
1961
1963
2
4
1967
1972
2
5
1971
1972
2
6
1980
1982
2
7
1970
1970
1
8
1972
1972
1
9
1972
1972
1
10
1973
1973
1
11
1975
1975
1
12
1982
1982
1
13
1990
1990
1
14
2006
2006
1

b. In the regular season; from 1946-47 to 2013-14; requiring Points >= 2500; sorted by descending Points (the first 20 and the link to the full data).

Totals
Shooting
Rk
Player
Season
Age
Tm
G
PTS
FG%
2P%
3P%
FT%
1
1961-62
25
80
4029
.506
.506

.613
2
1962-63
26
80
3586
.528
.528

.593
3
1986-87
23
82
3041
.482
.491
.182
.857
4
1960-61
24
79
3033
.509
.509

.504
5
1963-64
27
80
2948
.524
.524

.531
6
1987-88
24
82
2868
.535
.546
.132
.841
7
2005-06
27
80
2832
.450
.482
.347
.850
8
1974-75
23
82
2831
.512
.512

.805
9
1971-72
24
81
2822
.574
.574

.689
10
1966-67
22
78
2775
.451
.451

.884
11
1989-90
26
82
2753
.526
.548
.376
.848
12
1972-73
24
80
2719
.488
.488

.847
13
1962-63
28
80
2719
.453
.453

.837
14
1959-60
23
72
2707
.461
.461

.582
15
1965-66
29
79
2649
.540
.540

.513
16
1971-72
23
TOT
79
2637
.448
.457
.264
.803
17
1988-89
25
81
2633
.538
.553
.276
.850
18
1970-71
23
82
2596
.577
.577

.690
19
1979-80
27
78
2585
.528
.540
.314
.852
20
1990-91
27
82
2580
.539
.551
.312
.851

Currently, Kevin Durant is the only player that could reach the 2500 points in a season. Actually, he is scoring more than 31.8 points/game (with is above the threshold of 30.5 to reach 2500 points over 82 games in a season).

c. Kevin Durant data.
Season
Age
Tm
G
FG%
3P%
2P%
FT%
PTS
19
80
.430
.288
.455
.873
1624
20
74
.476
.422
.486
.863
1871
21
82
.476
.365
.506
.900
2472
22
78
.462
.350
.504
.880
2161
23
66
.496
.387
.535
.860
1850
24
81
.510
.416
.539
.905
2280
25
64
.508
.398
.551
.871
2036



B. POINTS PER GAME.
Here too, I looked at players that reached the 30.49 points per game per season, the equivalent of 2500 points a season of 82 games. 27 players matched that statistic since 1946 of which 13 didn’t play the full season of 82 games (accordingly, they didn’t reach the 2500 points in the season). Again, the two same players lead this statistic with Wilt Chamberlain reaching this benchmark 7 times and Michael Jordan 6 times.

a. In the regular season; from 1946-47 to 2013-14; requiring Points Per Game >= 30.49; sorted by most seasons matching criteria.
Rk
Player
From
To
Count 
1
1960
1966
7
2
1987
1993
6
3
1961
1967
5
4
1962
1970
4
5
1967
1975
4
6
2001
2006
4
7
1961
1963
3
8
1974
1976
3
9
1981
1984
3
10
1971
1972
2
11
1980
1982
2
12
2006
2007
2
13
1960
1960
1
14
1962
1962
1
15
1962
1962
1
16
1972
1972
1
17
1972
1972
1
18
1973
1973
1
19
1973
1973
1
20
1977
1977
1
21
1982
1982
1
22
1985
1985
1
23
1988
1988
1
24
1990
1990
1
25
2003
2003
1
26
2006
2006
1
27
2014
2014
1

b. In the regular season; from 1946-47 to 2013-14; requiring Points Per Game >= 30.49; sorted by descending Points Per Game (the first 20 below and the link to the complete statistic).

Totals
Per Game
Shooting
Rk
Player
Season
Age
Tm
G
PTS
FG%
2P%
3P%
FT%
1
1961-62
25
80
50.4
.506
.506

.613
2
1962-63
26
80
44.8
.528
.528

.593
3
1960-61
24
79
38.4
.509
.509

.504
4
1961-62
27
48
38.3
.428
.428

.754
5
1959-60
23
72
37.6
.461
.461

.582
6
1986-87
23
82
37.1
.482
.491
.182
.857
7
1963-64
27
80
36.9
.524
.524

.531
8
1966-67
22
78
35.6
.451
.451

.884
9
2005-06
27
80
35.4
.450
.482
.347
.850
10
1987-88
24
82
35.0
.535
.546
.132
.841
11
1971-72
24
81
34.8
.574
.574

.689
12
1960-61
26
73
34.8
.430
.430

.783
13
1964-65
28
TOT
73
34.7
.510
.510

.464
14
1974-75
23
82
34.5
.512
.512

.805
15
1972-73
24
80
34.0
.488
.488

.847
16
1968-69
24
35
34.0
.511
.514
.300
.888
17
1962-63
28
80
34.0
.453
.453

.837
18
1989-90
26
82
33.6
.526
.548
.376
.848
19
1965-66
29
79
33.5
.540
.540

.513
20
1971-72
23
TOT
79
33.4
.448
.457
.264
.803

The 70’s decade saw the most prolific scorers ever in NBA/ABA history with 9 players reaching this benchmark. Within this group, we found my G.O.A.T of the 70’s: Julius Erving (STATISTICS ABOUT BASKETBALL GOAT. PART 2.).
The second decade with the most productive scorers is the 60’s with 8 players. Furthermore, 5 of the first 7 of the 27 players that reached this statistic played during this decade. We also found my G.O.A.T of the 60’s within this list: Jerry West (STATISTICS ABOUT BASKETBALL GOAT. PART 1.).
The decade with the less prolific scorers is the current one with only one player reaching this threshold of 30.49 points per game per season: Kevin Durant.
Nevertheless, he could challenge the leaders in this statistic as he is on his way to finish this year above this benchmark for the second time of his young career (at the age of 25). In parallel, his true shooting percentage has increased over the last 6.5 years (from 51.9% to a current 63.9%).



C. RECORDS.
Here all the records about points in NBA history. Of course, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain detain the majority of the NBA records in this category.
However, as seen before, Kevin Durant, at only age 25, could challenge certain of these records in the coming decade.

Most seasons leading league, points

11
7
4
4
4

 

Most seasons leading league, points per game

10
7
4
4

 

Most consecutive seasons leading league, points

7
1959-60—1965-66
7
1986-87—1992-93
4
2009-10—2012-13

 

Most consecutive seasons leading league, points per game

7
1959-60—1965-66
7
1986-87—1992-93
3
1948-49—1950-51
3
1952-53—1954-55
3
1973-74—1975-76
3
1977-78—1979-80
3
1995-96—1997-98
3
2009-10—2011-12

 

Most points, career

38387
36928
32292

 

Highest average, points per game, career

30.12
30.07
27.56

 

Most points, season

4029
3586
3041

 

Highest average, points per game, season

50.36
44.83
38.39

 

Most points, rookie, season

2707
2495
2361

 

Highest average, points per game, rookie, season

37.60
31.58
30.49

 

Most seasons, 2,000 or more points

12
11
9

 

Most seasons, 1,000 or more points

19
18
16

 

Most points, game

100
81
78

 

Most points, rookie, game

58
58
57

 

Most games, 50 or more points, season

45
30
10

 

Most consecutive games, 50 or more points

7
6
5
5

 

Most games, 40 or more points, season

63
52
37

 

Most consecutive games, 40 or more points

14
14
10

 

Most consecutive games, 30 or more points

65
31
25

 

Most consecutive games, 20 or more points

126
92
80

 

Most consecutive games, 10 or more points

866
787
575

 

Most points, one half

59
2nd Half
55
2nd Half
53
1st Half
53
1st Half

 

Most points, one quarter

33
2nd Qtr.
33
3rd Qtr.
32
1st Qtr.

 

Most points, overtime period

16
15
14
14



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