10 NBA Players Who Created The Most Points In NBA History

Throughout NBA history, there have been great scorers and great passers who have excelled in each one of those areas on the court. Then there are the players who went above and beyond as both a scorer and a passer which make them all-time great playmakers. The players we are talking about today are the ones who have generated the most points in NBA history. They have done this by either putting the ball in the basket themselves or by setting their teammates up to score as well. They are truly 10 of the greatest players to ever step foot in the NBA.

Of course, there have been great defenders, rebounders, and leaders who excel at other things that made them legends of the game. Nothing makes more of an impact on the court than being a player who created the most points for his team. The goal of basketball is to outscore your opponent and stop them from scoring in order to claim victory. Now, of course, longevity has a lot to do with some of these players’ placement on this list, but regardless, it is an impressive feat to be named Top 10 all-time in combined points and assists. Let’s see who these 10 legends are and where they rank all-time in most combined points and assists.

In order to make this as accurate as possible, we will count every assist as two points to get the number of points created as close as possible to each player’s true total points created.

Now, let’s see which NBA legends rank at the top of the list in total points created.

10. John Havlicek – 38,623 Points Created

Total Points: 26,395

Points Created From Assists: 12,228 (6,114 Assists)

John Havlicek is one of the greatest winners in NBA history. During his 16-year NBA career with the Boston Celtics, Havlicek helped deliver 8 championships to the city of Boston during the 60s and 70s. Havlicek was a part of 4 championship teams before he became a full-time starter in Boston and started to accumulate the stats that landed him on our list today. In those 4 seasons, he was still an impactful player off of the bench and averaged 17.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.7 APG.

During the 1966-67 season is when Havlicek began to step his game up. From 1967 through 1974, he averaged at least 20.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG per season. That 8-year stretch saw him average 23.8 PPG and 6.0 APG overall. His best season came in 1971 when he averaged a career-high 28.9 PPG and 7.5 APG. He followed it up in 1972 with 27.5 PPG, 7.5 APG, and an NBA championship for the Celtics.

9. Dirk Nowitzki – 38,862 Points Created

Total Points: 31,560 Points

Points Created From Assists: 7,302 (3,651 Assists)

Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest scoring power forwards in NBA history. His 31,560 points rank 6th in NBA history and are the main reason why his name appears on our list today. He wasn’t known as a passer but could get the job done when teams sent doubles his way. Nowitzki amassed over 30,000 points in 20 years by becoming the greatest 7-foot shooter we have ever seen. He could knock down the three, so you had to respect him when he caught the ball on the outside. This opened up many opportunities to get by defenders as well. He also loved to back his defender down and knock down his patented one-legged fadeaway when he was really in a groove.

For 12 seasons straight from 2001 through 2012, Nowitzki averaged at least 20.0 PPG. Over that time, he averaged 24.1 PPG and 2.7 APG on 47.8% shooting overall and 38.4% from three. His career-high came in 2006 when he averaged 26.6 PPG on 48.0% shooting and 40.6% from three. Nowitzki never averaged more than 3.5 APG for a season in his career, but when you play for 20 years, the assists tend to add up.

8. Wilt Chamberlain – 40,705 Points Created

Total Points: 31,419 Points

Points Created From Assists: 9,286 (4,643 Assists)

No one man statistically dominated their respective era like Wilt Chamberlain dominated the 60s. He was a fast, strong, and athletic 7-footer who broke every scoring record there ever was during his time in the NBA. Of course, records are meant to be broken and he no longer holds certain ones, but he still holds a slew of NBA scoring records that may never be broken. He has tallied 100 points in a game and 50.0 PPG in a season, which is two of his most recognized records and ones that will not ever be touched in our lifetime.

Wilt Chamberlain’s career seems like a bedtime story you read to your kids when you tuck them in at night. He won an NBA record 11 scoring titles and even had a few seasons where he averaged more than 5.0 APG. Pretty impressive when you consider his score-first play style. Wilt was a man amongst boys who, in his first 6 seasons, averaged 40.6 PPG. Let that settle for a second. Chamberlain began his career averaging 40.6 PPG over a span of 6 years! Again, one of his many records that could never be touched again.

7. Michael Jordan – 43,558 Points Created

Total Points: 32,292 Points

Points Created From Assists: 11,266 (5,633 Assists)

The greatest scorer in the history of the NBA, Michael Jordan, comes in at No. 5 on our list of players who have created the most points in NBA history. Jordan’s scoring was like watching art be made in real-time as he made his way to 10 scoring titles, the most career PPG in the regular season and playoffs, and 6 championships as a member of the Chicago Bulls. When we speak about scoring, Michael Jordan is the gold standard with his relentless attacks on the rim and mastery of the mid-range jumper.

Many people forget that Jordan was a more than capable passer as well. He averaged over 5.0 APG in a season 9 times in his 15-year career and recorded a career-high 8.0 APG in 1989. As Jordan recorded his 10 scoring titles, his overall numbers became equally jaw-dropping. From 1987 through 1998, Jordan averaged 32.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.4 APG over the course of 830 games played. When you excel at every aspect of basketball for that long, you are bound to find yourself in the upper echelon of players on this list.

6. Kobe Bryant – 46,255 Points Created

Total Points: 33,643 Points

Points Created From Assists: 12,612 (6,306 Assists)

Somehow, someway, Kobe Bryant has become underrated by the modern-day NBA fan. They like to say he isn’t a top-ten player of all time. They attack his shot selection and efficiency and love to say that he was carried to 3 championships by Shaq. Out of all the players in the Top 10 of this list, Kobe ranks 4th in assists and 3rd in points, showing the levels there are to his greatness. There were times Bryant had to put the team on his back, even with Shaq on the floor with him, and he exceeded all expectations put on him in that aspect. Kobe never won an assists title, and no one expected him to, but he was a good passer and an even better scorer which ranks him 4th here today.

Kobe became to come into his own during his 3rd season in 2000. From that season through the 2013 season, Bryant averaged 27.8 PPG and 5.2 APG in 1,039 contests, showing a consistent ability to both score and set up his teammates. Bryant won back-to-back scoring titles in 2006 and 2007, averaging 35.4 PPG and 31.6 PPG respectively. Bryant’s efforts netted him an MVP award, 5 championships, and 2 Finals MVP awards in his career. If those numbers and achievements don’t indicate a Top 10 player of all time for you, well, I suggest you switch to watching golf.

5. Oscar Robertson – 46,484 Points Created

Total Points: 26,710 Points

Points Created From Assists: 19,774 (9,887 Assists)

Oscar Robertson is the first player to appear on this list that truly was both a great scorer and a great passer at the same time. He is the original King Of The Triple-Double when he averaged one for an entire season in 1962. During his 14-year NBA career, Robertson won 1 scoring title and 7 assists titles with the Cincinnati Royals and 1 championship with the Milwaukee Bucks. Had it not been for Jerry West’s existence, Oscar would be considered the greatest point guard of the 60s and 70s without any hesitation.

Oscar’s greatness can be narrowed down to the first 8 seasons of his career. From 1961 through 1968, Robertson was one of the most complete players in basketball and averaged 30.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 10.6 APG. He was quite efficient shooting the ball as well, going for 48.7% over those 8 years. Oscar is heralded as a Top 5 point guard in NBA history by most fans and media members and after the numbers shown here today, his placement is more than warranted.

4. Karl Malone – 47,424 Points Created

Total Points: 36,928 Points

Points Created From Assists: 10,496 (5,248 Assists)

Only 3 players in NBA history have created over 40,000 points. The first man to hold this title is the player who ranks 3rd on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, Karl Malone. Karl Malone is one of the NBA’s most consistent scorers in history, averaging over 20.0 PPG for 17 years straight at one time during his career. Malone dominated opponents on the low block but also possessed a mid-range jumper that made the pick-and-roll offense he ran with John Stockton nearly unbeatable.

Karl Malone’s 20.0 PPG stretch began in 1987 and ended in 2003. Over that time, Malone averaged 26.3 PPG and 3.5 APG on 52.1% shooting. If we break down Malone’s true prime, he averaged 27.6 PPG and 3.5 APG over 898 contests from 1988 through 1998. Malone led the Jazz to back-to-back Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998 and gathered 2 MVP awards during his career. Karl Malone is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history to never win an NBA championship. His place on this list further drives that point home.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 49,707 Points Created

Total Points: 38,387 Points

Points Created From Assists: 11,320 (5,660 Assists)

As it stands today, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is still the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. That record is set to fall in 2022-23, but Kareem’s record is still alive and well as the season begins. Between his careers with the Bucks and Lakers, Kareem won 5 championships and was named an MVP 6 times. What makes Kareem’s scoring so impressive is not only how long he scored at a high level but the fact that he did it only by attempting 18 three-pointers in his career and making one. Kareem lived in the post where opponents were spun into oblivion with his unstoppable skyhook and propensity for grabbing offensive rebounds.

Kareem’s scoring was most impressive during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks from 1970 through 1975. He won back-to-back scoring titles in 1971 and 1972 and averaged 30.4 PPG over those 6 years. He also added 4.3 APG at that time. This isn’t to say that Kareem wasn’t a dominant scorer with the Lakers as well. Although it was not as abundant as with Milwaukee, his scoring was consistent In his first 11 seasons with the Lakers, Kareem averaged 24.3 PPG and 3.8 APG. Kareem’s longevity, consistency, and dominance land him as the No. 2 player with the most points created.

2. John Stockton – 51,323 Points Created

Total Points: 19,711 Points

Points Created From Assists: 31,612 (15,806 Assists)

If there is a pass to be made or a bucket to be facilitated, John Stockton was the guy to do it in the NBA in the 1990s. Stockton is the all-time King Of Assists in NBA history with one of the most unbreakable records there is as far as NBA basketball. His 15,806 assists sit over 3,500 more than the person in 2nd on the all-time list, Jason Kidd. Stockton gets a bad rep these days because all people think he did was dump the ball off to Karl Malone, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Every player on the floor for the Utah Jazz was made better by John Stockton’s presence and that is the cold, hard fact.

From 1988 through 1996, no one was better at racking up the assists than John Stockton. During that time, Stockton led the NBA in APG all 9 seasons and averaged a whopping 13.1 APG over that span. He also averaged 15.7 PPG during that time. His career-high in scoring came in back-to-back seasons in 1990 and 1991 when he averaged 17.2 PPG. Stockton never had to be a scorer like the point guards you see today. He was a pass-first true point guard and one of the last we may have seen grace an NBA court.

1. LeBron James – 57,152 Points Created

Total Points: 37,062 Points

Points Created From Assists: 20,090 (10,045 Assists)

The player who already holds the No. 1 spot on this list and is set to break Kareem’s scoring record in 2022-23 is LeBron James. LeBron is widely considered to be the best all-around player in NBA history and already holding the No. 1 spot here further adds to that opinion. James has been the poster child for consistency and maintaining greatness over a 20-year period. James has not averaged less than 20.0 PPG or 6.0 APG since his rookie season in 2004, winning both 1 scoring title and 1 assist title along the way.

When we exclude that rookie season, LeBron has averaged 27.5 PPG and 7.4 APG on 51.0% shooting over an 18-year period. His longevity and consistency are simply unmatched by anyone across NBA history and have added to his status as one of the all-time greats. LeBron recorded his career-high in points in 2006 when he averaged 31.4 PPG and assists in 2020 when he led the league with 10.2 APG. As someone who is considered a pass-first player, his consistency and greatness as a scorer cannot go unnoticed. When all is said and done, there will be only 2 players to be considered the greatest to ever live, and one of them is LeBron James.  

Next

NBA Players With The Most Points Per Game Since Michael Jordan’s Era

The Most Points Per Game In A Single Season Tiers: Wilt Chamberlain’s 50.4 PPG Is Untouchable

NBA Champions With The Best Regular Season Records: 1995-96 Chicago Bulls Are Still Unbeatable With 72-10

Top 10 NBA Players Who Scored The Most Points Of All Time And Where They Rank In Assists All Time

Michael Jordan’s MVP Points Per Season: The GOAT Won 5 MVP Awards And Came Second 4 Times