20 NBA Players Who Hit The Most Shots In NBA History

There is a simple rule when it comes to offense in the NBA. A player has to put the basketball into the hoop. Some players are very good at this skill. Others have to change up their skillset to rebounding, playmaking, or defense. The offense is what is sexy though. Everyone pays more attention to the player that can hit a driving dunk, fadeaway jumpers, or a deep three-point shot. Since the league began over seven decades ago, 20 players proved to be the best at making a shot.

There are 19 players in the history of the NBA that have made at least 10,000 shots and only one player that has made over 15,000 career shots. We take a look at these players now. These players have led the league in scoring and have dabbled in scoring between 1,000 to 2,000 points in a season. Getting those points requires making shots. These players were the best.

Let’s take a look at the 20 players who hit the most shots in league history.

20. Moses Malone – 9,435 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 9,435 – 19,9225

Stats: 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG (1,329 Games)

One Malone transitioned to the NBA after the merger, he was one of the best in the league. At the start of the 1978-79 season, Malone made at least 500 field goals in 11 consecutive seasons. During that turn, Malone made 600 shots in a season six times. He just missed 600 during the 1986-87 season when he made 595 shots.

He reached 700 in three straight seasons, 800 shots in two seasons, and made his career high of 945 field goals in 1981-82. During that season, he averaged 31.1 points and shot 51.9% from the field. Malone averaged over 30 points once but averaged at least 20 points per game 11 times.

19. Oscar Robertson – 9,508 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 9,508 – 19,620

Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG (1,040 Games)

When Robertson joined the Cincinnati Royals, he was an immediate impact player. He made 756 shots in his first season and then did not look back. He made at least 700 shots seven straight years. He reached the 800 mark six straight seasons, which featured a career-high 866 field goals during the 1961-62 season. Robertson made the 600 mark three more seasons after that.

For the 10 seasons that Robertson made at least 600 shots, he led the league in made free throws four times. He was excellent at getting to the rim because his time did not feature a three-point line. Robertson would have likely kept attacking the basket anyways. Robertson never led the league in made field goals, likely because he played in an era that featured the great Wilt Chamberlain.

18. Robert Parish – 9,614 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 9,614 – 17,914

Stats: 14.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG (1,611 Games)

It was a very long career for Parish. Out of everyone on this list, Parish has the most games and because he was able to play for so long, he finds himself in the top 20. With that said, Parish enjoyed some All-Star years with the Celtics. He was a nine-time All-Star with the team, which featured a run of seven consecutive appearances.

Parish never made more than 669 field goals for a season. For his career, he made the 500 mark 11 times and the 600 mark four times. Those 600 field goals for a season were a run of four consecutive seasons. Given all of his accomplishments, this was just another one to add to his resume.

17. Patrick Ewing – 9,702 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 9,702 – 19,241

Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.4 BPG (1,039 Games)

It took two seasons for Ewing to play a full season for the Knicks. Once he started playing the majority of games, he started making about 600 field goals per season. From 1988 to 1997, Ewing went 10 consecutive seasons making at least 600 field goals for a season. During that time, he made 700 field goals seven times, 800 field goals two times, and then his career high of 922 field goals during the 1989-90 season.

Ewing made the All-Star team each of those seasons. He finished his Knicks career as the all-time leading scorer. That remains a record today. Ewing never led the league in field goals made or attempts, but was consistent enough to keep the Knicks on a national stage.

16. Dominique Wilkins – 9,963 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 9,963 – 21,589

Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG (1,074 Games)

There were two seasons that Wilkins led the league in field-goal attempts. He nearly shot the ball 1,900 times but still managed to lead the league with 1,891 and 1,987 shots in 1983 and 1984. During that time, Wilkins made at least 800 field goals in a season during a streak that lasted six seasons.

There were two other times that Wilkins reached at least 700 field goals in a season. He came up just short during the 1993-94 season when he made a combined 698 shots. Wilkins was one of the greatest players to play for the Hawks. His 30.3 points per game led the league in scoring during the 1985-86 season.

15. Carmelo Anthony – 10,119 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 10,119 – 22,643

Stats: 22.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG (1,260 Games)

Anthony has never led the league in field goals or shots but has accumulated enough field goals in his two-decade career to find his way into the top 10. Anthony made at least 500 field goals in a season in the first eight years. He reached 600 field goals nine times in his career and topped the 700 mark three times.

The year he led the league in scoring (2012-13), he made 669 shots. His career high of 756 field goals came during 2005-06. Anthony finds himself in the top 10 for most points scored in Nuggets and Knicks franchise history. That was thanks to averaging at least 20 points per game for 14 consecutive seasons.

14. Tim Duncan – 10,285 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 10,285 – 20,334

Stats: 19.0 PG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.2 BPG (1,392 Games)

One season, Duncan led the league in made shots. He made 764 field goals during the 2001-02 season which saw him land the MVP Award. That was one of four times that Duncan reached 700 made shots in a season. He reached the 600-mark six times but came close a few other times.

He reached 592 field goals in 2003-04 and 585 field goals in 2007-08. Duncan just missed the 500-mark in 2012-13 when he made 490. Altogether, Duncan made 500 shots in a season 12 times. With his 26,496 career points, Duncan is the all-time leading scorer for the Spurs.

13. Kevin Garnett – 10,505 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 10,505 – 21,142

Stats: 17.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.4 BPG (970 Games)

It’s been almost 20 years since Garnett won the MVP Award with the Timberwolves, but that was a magical season. Garnett led the league in making field goals and field goal attempts. He also led the league in two-point field goals and attempts.

His 804 made field goals were his only time topping the 800-mark. He reached at least 700 made shots four times and made at least 600 shots in a season nine times. Between 2000-01 and 2006-07, Garnett made at least 600 shots in a season. Garnett eventually won a championship with the Celtics but his best stretch of offense came when he played for the Timberwolves.

12. John Havlicek – 10,513 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 10,513 – 23,930

Stats: 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG (1,270 Games)

When you are as durable as Havlicek, there are going to be a ton of shots that go down. Havlicek led the league in minutes two times and in both of those times, he nearly made 900 shots in a season. The first time came during the 1970-71 season when he made 892 field goals. The following season he made 897 shots in a season. That was part of a stretch that featured at least 600 made shots in a season nine consecutive seasons.

Compared to other stars on the list, Havlicek didn’t have the dominant scoring run. He did average at least 20 points per game eight straight seasons, while often finishing around the 18 to 19-point threshold. It goes back to his longevity in the game. He played at least 80 games in a season 11 times.

11. Alex English – 10,659 Field Goals

FGM – FGA:10,659 – 21,036

Stats: 21.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG (1,193 Games)

English was one of the best overall finishers in league history. He never got a lot of press because his Nuggets teams were not championship contenders during the 80s. English had a stretch of making 900 shots in a season five consecutive seasons.

During that time, English led the league in making field goals with 959, 939, and 951 in four years. He reached 855 and 843 in two other seasons and then would get back to 924 made shots during the 1988-89 season. For now, English and Issel are the top-two scoring players for the Nuggets but that will likely change with Nikola Jokic sticking around for the next five years.

10. Hakeem Olajuwon – 10,749 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 10,749 – 20,991

Stats: 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 3.1 BPG (1,238 Games)

It’s wild to think that Olajuwon scored over 20,000 career points but never led the league in made field goals. Then again, he played in the same era as Michael Jordan who won his fair share of scoring titles. Olajuwon made at least 600 shots in a season 11 times.

That included six straight years to open his career. After a brief two years out of the 600-made shot club, he embarked on a five-year run of making 700 shots in a season. That includes his career-high of 894 made shots when he won the league MVP Award.

9. Elvin Hayes – 10,976 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 10,976 – 24,272

Stats: 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG (1,303 Games)

Hayes put the world on notice during his rookie year. He led the league in made field goals and shot attempts when he shot 930 for 2,082 during the 1968-69 season. Hayes led the league in shot attempts two more seasons and made over 900 shots in a season despite not leading the league in made field goals.

Hayes never made less than 600 shots in his first 12 seasons in the league. He nearly made it 13 seasons but made 584 and 519 during consecutive seasons. By then, he was 36 years old and put in a solid career’s worth of work.

8. Dirk Nowitzki – 11,169 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 11,169 – 23,734

Stats: 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG (1,522 Games)

The all-time great Mavericks star was an NBA star when he was consistently hitting fadeaway jumpers as a power forward. Nowitzki never reached 800 made shots in a season but was consistent enough to put up solid numbers for over two decades. Ten seasons in a row featured 600 made shots and 11 for his career. Nowitzki missed 500 made shots in a season by making 473, 487, and 498 in respective seasons. Altogether, he made 500 shots in a season 13 times.

For his Mavericks career, Nowitzki owns just about every record you could think of. The only potential candidate to pass him is Luka Doncic. Given how young and exceptional Doncic is as a player, we could see his name in the top 10 down the line. For now, the Mavericks and Nowitzki are synonymous.

7. Shaquille O’Neal – 11,330 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 11,330 – 19,457

Stats: 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG (1,207 Games)

When O’Neal was a young pup with the Magic, he played like a veteran. That included leading the league in made field goals with 853 and 930 in 1994 and 1995. That strong sense of talent carried over when he played with the Lakers, where he won three Finals MVP Awards and helped the team make four NBA Finals appearances.

Between 1999 to 2001, O’Neal led the league in made field goals with 510, 956, and 813. That included winning the 2000 league MVP Award. For his career, O’Neal reached 900 made shots three times, 800 made shots four times, and 700 made shots six times. What was more impressive was that he led the league in field-goal percentage 10 times.

6. Kobe Bryant – 11,719 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 11,719 – 26,200

Stats: 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG (1,346 Games)

Given the history, it’s only fitting that Bryant just beat out Shaq for made field goals. Bryant took enough shots to get those made buckets though. Bryant took almost 7,000 more shots than O’Neal. He also led the league in field goal attempts three times in his career, including taking a career-high 2,173 shots in 2005-06.

With that said, Bryant also led the league in made field goals that season with 978. It was one of three times Bryant led the league in made shots. Altogether, Bryant made at least 800 field goals four times and made at least 700 shots 10 times.

5. Michael Jordan – 12,192 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 12,192 – 24,537

Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG (1,072 Games)

The greatest “what if” question in basketball is what if Jordan never retired? Would he have held the record for made shots? It feels like he would because before Jordan retired for the first time, he led the league in made field goals seven consecutive seasons. In each of those seasons, Jordan made at least 900 shots in a season and topped the 1,000 mark three other times.

When Jordan came back, he played a prorated season and made 166 shots. He then helped the Bulls complete a three-peat and led the league in made-field goals three more times. Jordan returned after a three-year absence and made at least 500 shots in both of those seasons. Had Jordan never left, we might be talking about the career record leader.

4. Wilt Chamberlain – 12,681 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 12,681 – 23,497

Stats: 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG (1,045 Games)

We will never see a player like Chamberlain ever again. His first seven seasons in the league saw him make over 1,000 shots in a season. He led the league in shot attempts all seven seasons as well. Chamberlain made at least 600 shots in the next three seasons. After an injury-plagued season, he made 668 shots one more time.

Altogether. Chamberlain’s career high of 1,597 made shots during the 1961-62 season remains the NBA record for a single season and will likely never be broken. That goes the same for his 100-point game that season. He made 36 field goals in one game alone. For some players, that is a week’s worth of shots made.

3. Karl Malone – 13,528 Field Goal

FGM – FGA: 13,528 – 26,210

Stats: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG (1,476 Games)

Longevity and consistency were the names of the game for the Mailman. Malone made at least 500 shots in all but three seasons of a 19 career. His career features numerous highs. That includes making at least 700 shots in 12 consecutive seasons between 1987 to 1998. Had there not been a lockout-shortened season, he would have made the streak even longer as he then made 752 shots in 1999-00.

Malone wrapped up his Jazz career with 670, 635, and 595 made field goals. His career high of 914 made shots was in the midst of a streak of four consecutive seasons of making 800 shots in a season, something he did six times in his career. When Malone left the league, he was number two in made shots and points but has since been passed by another all-time great.

2. LeBron James – 13,555 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 13,562 – 26,868

Stats: 27.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG (1,368 Games)

It took two seasons for James to be a polarizing figure. At 20 years old, James led the league in made field goals with 795 during the 2004-05 season. James has led the league in made field goals five times. He made at least 700 shots in each of those seasons, including his career-high of 857 made shots in 2017-18.

From 2005 to 2018, James made at least 700 shots in all but two seasons. For his career, he has made less than 500 shots just one time. James may never get the field goals record but he will become the all-time scorer. James had the help of the three-point line. For his career, he owns 11,417 made two-point field goals and 2,145 made three-point field goals.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 15,837 Field Goals

FGM – FGA: 15,837 – 28,307

Stats: 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.6 BPG (1,560 Games)

The all-time leading scorer owns the most made shots in NBA history for now. Five times he has led the league in made field goals. Four of those five occurrences came when he played for the Bucks in the early 70s. That included making 1,063 and 1,159 made shots in back-to-back seasons in 1971 and 1972.

During his Bucks career, Abdul-Jabbar made at least 800 shots each season. That streak of eight consecutive 800-made shots carried over to the Lakers. For his career, Abdul-Jabbar made 800 shots 10 times and 700 shots 16 times. The numbers prove that he was the greatest player to ever score a basketball. 

All-Time 4-Ring Superteam vs. All-Time 5-Ring Superteam: Who Would Win A 7-Game Series?

Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O’Neal Career Comparison: Both Legends Are Top-10 Players But One Gets The Slight Edge

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 All-Time Starting Five vs. LeBron James’ All-Time Lakers Starting Five: Who Would Win A 7-Game Series?