20 NBA Players With The Most 20-Point Games In NBA History

Every NBA fan is well aware that LeBron James is set to break the NBA’s all-time scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at some point in 2022-23. What you may not know is that 5 games into the season, LeBron James broke another record that has stood for nearly 2 decades. During the third quarter of the Lakers’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, LeBron James drained a 3-pointer to give him 21 points for the game. It was James’ 1,135th career game with 20 or more points, which broke his tie with Karl Malone for the most 20-point games in NBA history. Now that James sits alone atop with yet another scoring record, we would like to take a look at the legends he passed on his way to excellence. 

The players on our list today have accumulated the most 20-point games in NBA history after LeBron James. You will see great post-scorers who dominated opponents in the paint with both finesse and power. You will see great shooters who could not be stopped from 16 feet to the 3-point line. You will also see the best scorers who contribute at all 3 levels of offense and can score from anywhere on the court. These 20 players defined what it means to be consistent, great, and to have an impact on winning. There will be some surprises and some obvious candidates but overall, these are 20 of the best scorers in NBA history, period.

These are the 20 NBA players who have accumulated the most 20-point games in NBA history.

20. Patrick Ewing – 679 20-Point Games

Patrick Ewing is remembered for being the dominant interior force for the New York Knicks during the 80s and 90s. Ewing was a talented two-way big man who impacted the game greatly on both ends of the floor. As for his scoring, Ewing relied on a pretty basic post-game, just don’t ask him for a finger roll. All jokes aside, Ewing was a great scorer in the paint and close to the basket with soft hands and soft touch at the rim. Ewing could also step out and knock down 10-foot jumpers when he was open. He displayed great offensive skills for a center in the 90s and it is what made him one of the greats.

Ewing burst onto the scene with the New York Knicks in his 1985-86 rookie season. That year, Ewing averaged 20.0 PPG on 47.4% shooting. This started a streak of 13 straight seasons averaging at least 20.0 PPG for Ewing. Over this time, he averaged 23.5 PPG on 51.3% shooting. His career-high in scoring came in the 1989-90 season when he played all 82 games for the Knicks. Ewing averaged 28.6 PPG on 55.1% shooting that season. As far as consistency and skill go, Ewing is one of the best big men in NBA history in those fields.

19. Allen Iverson – 700 20-Point Games

Allen Iverson is one of the most talented players in NBA history. Standing at just 6’0’’ tall, Iverson made the impossible a nightly occurrence as he constantly torched the league’s best teams for big-time scoring performances. Using his elite ball handling and lightning-fast speed, Iverson would leave perimeter defenders in the dust and finish at the rim with no regard for the help lying in wait. When, for whatever reason, he couldn’t get by the defender, Iverson had the ability to knock down mid to medium-range jumpers to add to his point total.

Iverson is one of the most talented shooting guard scorers in NBA history. He holds the 2nd most scoring titles at his position with 4 behind Michael Jordan’s 10. With a 26.7 PPG career average, Iverson averaged at least 20.0 PPG for the first 12 seasons of his career. He won scoring titles in 3 out of 4 seasons from 1999 through 2022 on a 4-year stretch that saw him average 29.6 PPG. He averaged over 30.0 PPG in a season 4 times and held his career-high at 33.0 PPG in 2005-06. With the way that Iverson played the game and couldn’t be stopped even though defenders knew what was coming, his name coming up on this list comes as no shock to us.

18. Alex English – 708 20-Point Games

As one of the most underrated players in NBA history, Alex English is also one of its greatest scorers. Alex English led the entire 1980s in points scored, even more than Magic, Bird, and Jordan. He was the first player in NBA history to record 8 straight seasons of 2,000 or more points and is still the Denver Nuggets’ all-time leading scorer to this day. English hardly gets recognized for his tremendous scoring efforts during the 80s, most likely for his lack of a championship ring. It is a shame that he was snubbed from the NBA’s Top 75 players of the all-time list, but we honor him here today in hopes that it relieves some of the pain.

English’s scoring didn’t really start to come to the forefront until he arrived in Denver in his 4th NBA season. In his first 9 full seasons with the Nuggets, English averaged 26.9 PPG on 51.1% shooting. He was selected to 8 straight All-Star games and led the Nuggets to the playoffs9 times in his career there. English’s career-high scoring season came in 1986 when he averaged 29.8 PPG on 50.4% shooting in 81 games played.

17. John Havlicek – 711 20-Point Games

John “Hondo” Havlicek is one of the greatest players in Boston Celtics history. Havlicek helped the Celtics to 8 NBA championships during his career and won a host of individual awards along the way as well. Havlicek’s game was the definition of hustle and heart as he left it all out on the floor every night he was out there. With his constant movement and polished offensive game, Havlicek retired as the Celtics’ all-time leading scorer and a career scoring average of 20.8 PPG.

Havlicek took a couple of years to crack the Celtics’ lineup, but once he did, he never looked back. Havlicek became a 20.0 PPG scorer in 1966-67 when he averaged 21.4 PPG. This started a streak of 8 consecutive seasons with at least 20.0 PPG and over this time, he averaged 23.8 PPG on 44.5% shooting. His career-high came in 1971 when he averaged 28.9 PPG on 45.8% shooting in 81 games played. Havlicek still ranks 1st all-time in Celtics history in points scored with 26,395 points.

16. Elvin Hayes – 728 20-Point Games

Elvin Hayes is one of the best power forwards that the game has ever seen. During his time with both the San Diego Rockets and Washington Bullets, Hayes was a dominant paint scorer who punished opponents on the low block. He possessed a trademark turnaround jumper that opponents could simply not defend and it allowed him to dominate on the offensive end. Hayes only missed 9 games in his entire 16-year career and finished with a career scoring average of 21.0 PPG.

It was well-known that Hayes was going to be a problem on the offensive end from the beginning of his rookie season. In just his 13th career game, Hayes scored an incredible 54 points, and it was off to the races from there. That season, Hayes won the only scoring title of his career at 28.4 PPG. Over the next 9 seasons, Hayes would average 24.3 PPG on 44.7% shooting. Hayes would help lead the Washington Bullets to their last NBA championship in 1978 when he averaged 21.8 PPG for the entire playoff run.

15. Hakeem Olajuwon – 747 20-Point Games

Hakeem Olajuwon is often referred to as one of the best defenders in NBA history. However, his refined and nearly perfected offensive game propelled him to superstar status and the Houston Rockets to 2 NBA championships. With some of the best post footwork we have ever seen, Olajuwon baffled defenders using those quick feet and his patented “Dream Shake”. If that wasn’t enough, Hakeem could also step away from the basket and knock down short jumpers regularly. Thwart he made the NBA’s best big men look like children when he had the ball is a big reason for his placement on this list.

Hakeem Olajuwon was a 20.0 PPG scorer from the get-go in his rookie season. He averaged at least 20.0 PPG during his first 13 years in the league and became an MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and a 2-time Finals MVP. While leading the league in rebounds and blocks, Olajuwon consistently contributed 25.0 PPG to his team and made them contenders every year. Hakeem’s career-high in PPG came in 1995 when he finished runner-up to David Robinson for MVP. Olajuwon averaged 27.8 PPG and had the last laugh as he led the Rockets to their second straight NBA championship, which included a series win over Robinson and the Spurs earlier in the playoffs.

14. Moses Malone – 748 20-Point Games

As a 3-time MVP and NBA champion, Moses Malone was also one of the better scorers during his day as well. This had a lot to do with just how good Malone was at tracking down offensive rebounds. Malone was a monster on the boards and made opponents pay every time he or his teammates would miss shots. Malone may have never won a scoring title, but he could definitely be a team’s No. 1 option when called upon, which was more often than not.

Malone became an All-Star and a 20.0 PPG scorer by the time he was in his 2nd season with the Houston Rockets. This started a string of 11 straight seasons with at least 20.0 PPG, which included 3 MVP awards, a Finals MVP award, and 11 straight All-Star appearances. Malone’s career-high of 31.1 PPG came in his 1982 MVP season. The following season, Malone averaged 26.0 PPG in the playoffs to lead the Sixers to an NBA championship. Malone’s career PPG sits at 20.3 PPG, showing his knack for being consistent on the offensive side of the ball.

13. Jerry West – 753 20-Point Games

Ask anybody who was around in the 1960s and 70s who they think the best non-big scorer of that era was and undoubtedly the answer will be in Jerry West’s favor. West was a stone-cold sniper on the court who probably would have doubled the number of total points had the NBA implemented the 3-point line into its game sooner. West also used his defense to spark fast break situations with the Lakers that often ended in West benefiting with a bucket. He led his Lakers team to 9 NBA Finals in his career, winning once toward the end of it in 1972.

West is one of the few players in NBA history who was named an All-Star in every season of his career. In his second season with the Lakers, West averaged 30.8 PPG, which was the first of 4 seasons where he would eclipse the 30.0 PPG mark in his career. He averaged over 31.0 PPG in back-to-back seasons in 1965 and 1966. In 1970, West won the only scoring title of his career when he averaged 31.2 PPG on 49.7% shooting. For his career, West was a 27.0 PPG scorer on 47.4% shooting from the field.

12. Oscar Robertson – 754 20-Point Games

The only other non-big scorer that could give Jerry West a run for his money during the 60s and 70s was Oscar Robertson. He was a slick and speedy scorer for the Royals during the early part of his career and his team’s clear No. 1 option. Robertson became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season, which is only a testament to how complete his game really was. Robertson was a deadly scorer in the open court and virtually unstoppable when he pushed the pace in transition.

Oscar averaged 30.5 PPG in his 1961 rookie season, the first of 6 times he would average 30.0 PPG in his career. His first 7 seasons in the NBA were ridiculous as he averaged 30.4 PPG on 48.5% shooting over that time period. He won his lone scoring title in 1968 when he averaged 29.2 PPG on 50.0% shooting. Robertson won 7 assists titles during his NBA career and was known as Mr. Triple-Double, but the one part of his game that gets overlooked far too often is how well he could score the ball.

11. Dominique Wilkins – 756 20-Point Games

It is simply incredible how underrated Dominique Wilkins has become over the years since his retirement. Known as a high-flying, super athletic player, Wilkins seems to only be remembered for his highlight reel dunks and failure to win championships. The truth is Wilkins was dynamic as a scorer and could adapt his offensive game to any situation or defense put in front of him. If you asked him to drive, he would emphatically. If you asked him to be a shooter, he could do that too. Wilkins had everything in his bag during his day, and more people need to recognize it.

Dominique first hit the 20.0 PPG scoring plateau in his second season in 1984 when he averaged 21.6 PPG. For 11 seasons after that, 20.0 PPG was the norm for him as he developed into one of the league’s greatest offensive weapons. Wilkins won his first scoring title in 1986 when he averaged 30.3 PPG, but his most impressive feat came in 1993. In 1992, Wilkins suffered a torn Achilles tendon, an injury thought to be career-ending at that time. The following season, Wilkins restructured his whole game after losing some of his explosiveness and averaged 29.9 PPG. When you got it, you got it and that season is a great depiction of how Wilkins certainly had it.

10. Wilt Chamberlain – 771 20-Point Games

Given his statistical dominance of the 60s and 70s, it comes as quite a shock that Wilt Chamberlain is only 10th on this list. This can most likely be attributed to the fact that he only played 15 years in the league and most of the guys above him played longer. There was only ever one man that could slow down Chamberlain, that being the late Bill Russell. Chamberlain could finish any look that he had in the paint and if you needed him to shoot, he had the touch on his jumper to do so. He dominated the NBA like no one else ever has since.

Chamberlain is listed as 2nd all-time in scoring titles with 7. His 7 scoring titles are most impressive because they came during the first 7 seasons of his career. During those 7 seasons, Wilt averaged 39.6 PPG on 51.1% shooting. This included an NBA record 50.4 PPG in 1962 and 5 seasons over 35.0 PPG. Chamberlain didn’t average below 20.0 PPG until 1972 when he was at the end of his career and had clearly lost a step. As one of the greatest players and scorers to ever live, Wilt Chamberlain will never be forgotten in NBA history.

9. Carmelo Anthony – 796 20-Point Games

I think many NBA fans have either forgotten or just don’t know how good of a scorer Carmelo Anthony was in both his Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks days. Anthony is the first player on this list who was a truly efficient three-level threat on offense. When with Denver, Anthony used his post-game much more than at any other time in his career. He was deceptively strong, and his quick release allowed for easy shots over taller defenders. The part of his game that he still even has today is his ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor and knock them down with great efficiency.

Although he wasn’t a scoring champion in Denver, he was a 20.0 PPG scorer from the jump. It took 14 years for him to dip below the 20.0 PPG mark for a season. Anthony spent his first 7 seasons with the Nuggets, where he averaged 24.8 PPG over that stretch. He moved on to the New York Knicks in 2011, where the torrid scoring continued. He won his only scoring title in 2013 when he averaged 28.7 PPG for New York, which also happens to be his career-high scoring for a season. Anthony has totaled 28,289 points in his career, good for 9th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

8. Kevin Durant – 802 20-Point Games

Kevin Durant has shown over the past 15 years that he is one of the most talented scorers in NBA history. With his slim 7-foot build, Durant has been the poster child for how much the game has evolved. Someone his size shouldn’t be able to dribble, create, and shoot the ball the way that he does, but Durant does it at an extremely high level. The way he is able to handle the ball and catch it anywhere he pleases, but he scores at an incredibly efficient level, shooting 49.6% for his career on mostly mid-range and 3-point shots.

Durant has never averaged below 20.0 PPG in a season in the 15 years he has been in the NBA. He won 4 out of 5 scoring titles from 2010 through 2014 and averaged over 30.0 PPG twice. During that 4-year stretch, Durant averaged 29.3 PPG on 48.9% shooting. Even after having his career derailed by an Achilles injury, he still has come back and has been a near 30.0 PPG scorer over the past 3 seasons. Durant may not be the most likable guy in the NBA, but his talent speaks for itself.

7. Shaquille O’Neal – 826 20-Point Games

At his peak, Shaquille O’Neal was the most dominant player in the NBA. Shaq was a brute force on the court who quite literally steamrolled the competition to 3 straight NBA championships in the early 2000s with the Lakers. Shaq finished nearly everything that was given to him in the paint, and aside from free throws and 3-point shooting, had no weaknesses in his game on either side of the ball. He was this way as a young man with the Orlando Magic too except with a bit more athleticism.

Shaq was another player on this list who came into the NBA as a 20.0 PPG scorer. He dominated the league in field goal percentage, leading the NBA 9 times in that stat in his career. He won his first scoring title in his 3rd season in the NBA with 29.3 PPG and added another in 2000 when he averaged 29.7 PPG. Shaq didn’t average below 20.0 PPG until his 15th year in the NBA when he was out of his prime with the Miami Heat. He ranks 8th all-time on the NBA’s scoring list and 10th all-time with a career 58.2% FG%.

6. Dirk Nowitzki – 861 20-Point Games

In 20 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks for his career, Dirk Nowitzki re-wrote the history books for what it meant to be a 7-footer in the NBA. Nowitzki quickly became the best 7-foot shooter in the history of the game with his patented one-legged fadeaway in the paint and accuracy on a high volume from 3-point range. Nowitzki wasn’t your typical power forward that NBA fans had been accustomed to. He displayed unimaginable range for a big man and had the softest touch out of anybody in the NBA at the time.

Dirk didn’t become a 20.0 PPG scorer overnight. It took him until his 3rd season to come into his own with the Mavericks and in his 4th season; he became an All-Star for the first time. His career-high for a season was 26.6 PPG in the 2006 season, but his consistency is what put him above the rest as far as scoring power forwards. From 2001 through 2016, Nowitzki averaged 22.8 PPG on 47.6% shooting. He would lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals twice, winning in 2011 in what is called one of the greatest title runs of all time.

5. Michael Jordan – 926 20-Point Games

The greatest player of all time. The greatest scorer of all time. Whatever you want to label Michael Jordan as long as those 2 sentences are included is just fine with us. Jordan is the gold standard when it comes to scoring in the NBA, winning an NBA record 10 scoring titles in his career. He didn’t need a 3-point shot to take over games as he dominated things from the mid-range and at the rim. He is one of the best finishers and mid-range scorers in NBA history and not one defender knew how to stop him.

Michael Jordan finished his career with 5 MVP awards, 6 Finals MVP awards, and the best resume in NBA history. After missing most of his second season with a broken foot, Jordan came back and started a streak of 7 straight seasons with a scoring title and 7 seasons averaging 30.0 PPG or more. Over this time, Jordan averaged 33.2 PPG on 51.8% shooting from the field and won 3 of his 6 NBA championships. Not even after coming back for the Wizards in 2001 did Michael Jordan ever not average 20.0 PPG in a season.

4. Kobe Bryant – 941 20-Point Games

If there is anyone who mirrored the game of Michael Jordan to the best of their ability, it is Kobe Bryant. Kobe was a generational icon who made millions of people fall in love with the game of basketball. He could finish athletically almost as well as Jordan. Kobe could post up and hit fadeaways almost as well as Jordan. He could even shoot 3-pointers better than Jordan at a much higher volume. Bryant was 1 of 1 during his era and is quite easily one of the 5 best scorers to ever live.

Kobe came into the NBA fresh out of high school in the 1996-97 season. By the 2000 season, he was on a clear path to superstardom as an elite scorer. Kobe Bryant was a 20.0 PPG scorer for 13 straight seasons from 2000 through 2014. Over this time, he averaged 27.8 PPG on 45.5% shooting. He helped the Lakers to 5 NBA championships in his career with 1 MVP award and 2 Finals MVP awards. Bryant is considered to be one of the 10 greatest players to ever step foot in the NBA.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 1,122 20-Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and scoring have been synonymous since his debut with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969. Currently, Kareem is the NBA’s all-time scoring leader with 38,387 total career points. Abdul-Jabbar used to punish opponents in the paint and make them look foolish with his unblockable skyhook. Kareem tallied over 2000 points in a season 9 different times in his career with Milwaukee and the Lakers. In total, he won 6 NBA championships, 6 MVP awards, and 2 Finals MVP awards in his career, but nothing held more weight on his incredible resume than the scoring record.

For the first 17 years of his career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged 20.0 PPG or more per season. His career PPG is 24.6 PPG, which ranks him 16th in NBA history. Abdul-Jabbar won back-to-back scoring titles in his 2nd and 3rd seasons, averaging 31.7 PPG and 34.8 PPG respectively. Out of his 20 seasons in the NBA, Kareem averaged over 25.0 PPG in half of them and established himself as one of the greatest players of all time. It is hard to imagine that his record has stood for so long given the influx of offense into the league over the years. That is just how good Kareem was and his feats have nearly withstood the test of time.

2. Karl Malone – 1,134 20-Point Games

The next 2 players on our list are what we mean when we say the words consistency and greatness. Karl Malone was an exceptionally consistent scorer with a 25.0 PPG scorer and a 17-season stretch of 20.0 PPG or more. Malone was a menace in the paint and on the low block, but where he really made opponents pay was in the pick-and-roll. With John Stockton at his side, Malone thrived as a scorer, displaying the ability to both put the ball on the floor and take it to the rim and also knock down mid-range shots at a regular pace. He was also one of the NBA’s biggest fast-break threats in his prime.

In his career, Malone nabbed 2 MVP awards and led the Jazz to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998. It can be considered that Malone had a 12-year peak as one of the top scorers and players in the game. Between 1988 and 1998, Malone averaged 27.6 PPG on 53.1% shooting. Malone never won a scoring title but again, his consistency has him as the NBA’s 3rd all-time leading scorer with 36,928 points and 11th all-time with a 25.02 PPG average for his career. Malone is considered by many to be the best player to never win an NBA championship, but more importantly, his legacy as a scorer lives on today.

1. LeBron James – 1,135 20-Point Games

For the past 20 years, we have watched LeBron James have the weight of the world placed on his shoulders. For the last 20 years, we have watched him meet and exceed those expectations with one of the greatest careers in NBA history. James has been a consistent 20.0 PPG scorer all 20 seasons of his career and is on the verge of becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2022-23. James has done this by mastering every facet of the offensive side of basketball. Specifically, nobody has been better at attacking and finishing at the rim in the past 2 decades than James. He has done so on every team he has been on and on the way to every championship he has won. He knows precisely when and how to take a game over and when to turn on the jets and become the aggressive scorer he can be.

James passed Karl Malone for the most 20-point games in NBA history during a regular season contest between the Lakers and Timberwolves on October 28, 2022. It was James’ 1,371st career game played in his 20-year NBA career. The ratio of career games played to the amount of 20-point games recorded during LeBron’s career is astonishing. Every time that he steps on the court, James has an 82.7% chance of having a game with 20 or more points scored. History is being rewritten left and right this year by James, who has Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record in his sights.

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