The NBA features nothing but the best and most dominant players. To make it to the Association, you have to be able to outplay most hoopers in the world, and that’s something most people don’t get when they think they could beat a bottom-of-the-bench kind of player.
- 10. John Drew – 20 Years, 47 Days
- 9. Eric Gordon – 20 Years, 29 Days
- 8. John Drew – 20 Years, 22 Days
- 7. LeBron James – 19 Years, 364 Days
- 6. Cliff Robinson – 19 Years, 362 Days
- 5. LeBron James – 19 Years, 330 Days
- 4. Carmelo Anthony – 19 Years, 306 Days
- 3. Anthony Edwards – 19 Years, 225 Days
- 2. Kevin Durant – 19 Years, 200 Days
- 1. LeBron James – 19 Years, 88 Days
But even among the creme of the crop, there’s a handful of players that stands out from the rest of the pack. How’s that? Well, their ability to put the ball through the hoop makes them unstoppable, and some of them do it from a very young age.
That’s why today, we’re going to honor those sharpshooters by letting you know about the top 10 youngers players to ever score 40 or more points in the history of the league.
10. John Drew – 20 Years, 47 Days
John Drew has to be one of the biggest ‘what ifs’ in NBA history. He was a walking bucket and a two-time All-Star but his issues with drug abuse – specifically cocaine – forced him out of the league without much success. Even so, he never averaged fewer than 16.2 points per game.
9. Eric Gordon – 20 Years, 29 Days
Eric Gordon looked poised to become a superstar when he first entered the league with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was aggressive and could score from all three levels, setting a then-record for the most points scored by a rookie with 41. He never took off as a star but he’s still a pretty solid role player.
8. John Drew – 20 Years, 22 Days
As we mentioned before, John Drew was a scoring machine when he was in his prime. Either with the Hawks or the Jazz, he was quite the efficient scorer, with a career shooting percentage of 47.0%. He was one of the most dominant scorers in the league during his first three seasons with the Hawks, even leading the NBA in scoring once.
7. LeBron James – 19 Years, 364 Days
No list of great scorers is complete without LeBron James on it. He made the league as an 18-year-old kid straight out of high school and it didn’t take long before he proved that he was worthy of the hype and ‘The Chosen One’ nickname. Now, he’ll likely go down as the league’s all-time leading scorer.
6. Cliff Robinson – 19 Years, 362 Days
Even though he’s not remembered as one of the best scorers of his time, Cliff Robinson could get hot in no time back in the day. He was a hustler and quite the efficient scorers for most of his career but he was mostly remembered for being the youngest player in the NBA two years in a row.
5. LeBron James – 19 Years, 330 Days
To no surprise, LeBron James makes our list again. He took over the Cleveland Cavaliers and single-handedly carried the load for them since day one, posting multiple 40-point outings before even turning 20 years old. The funny part is that, up to this day, people still don’t think of him as a scorer.
4. Carmelo Anthony – 19 Years, 306 Days
When Carmelo Anthony was drafted, there was a legit debate about whether he should’ve been the first overall pick ahead of LeBron James. That’s just how good he was. Melo lit up the league during his rookie season, winning the Rookie of the Month award every single month – and not winning Rookie of the Year. His most impressive outing was a 41-point piece during a 124-119 win over the Sonics.
3. Anthony Edwards – 19 Years, 225 Days
Anthony Edwards struggled early into his rookie year but he’s finally gotten it together now that he became a starter. He showcased his talents with an impressive 42-point explosion and it’s clear that the Minnesota Timberwolves need to build around him to be competitive again. He can score from all three levels, he’s aggressive, strong, and can finish through contact.
2. Kevin Durant – 19 Years, 200 Days
It was pretty clear that Kevin Durant was a different breed as soon as he got out of college. Surprisingly, he was originally listed as a shooting guard and wasn’t much of a three-point shooter but he worked on his craft to become the offensive juggernaut he is nowadays. Durant is the greatest pure scorer in the history of basketball, without a doubt.
1. LeBron James – 19 Years, 88 Days
Last but not least, we find LeBron James again, this time with one of the most impressive records he ever broke. He’s still the youngest player to ever score 40+ points after shooting 15/29 from the floor and torching the New Jersey Nets for 41. His Cavaliers won the game 107-104 and so the legend began.
Credit: CrossNposter
