It’s pretty normal to always feature a player who stands out from the rest of the team. I mean, even though basketball is a team sport, you must always have a leader that steps up when the team needs him the most.
However, there are a handful of players that have taken that role a bit too seriously and have done it – literally – all for their respective squads. They’ve been asked to score, rebound, hand out assists, and if it were up to them, even coach the team.
Regardless of if it has translated into more wins, that’s a debate for another day. But today, we’re going to honor the only 5 players in NBA history that have had to lead their teams in all major stats.
Dave Cowens (19977-78)
18.6 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG
The 1977-78 season was a beat of a transition year for the Boston Celtics. They were struggling to get back to their winning ways despite having a roster with players like Jo Jo White, John Havlicek, and Charlie Scott. However, it was Dave Cowens the one that did it all for their team.
The Celtics finished with a subpar 32-50 records. Tom Heisonh was fired after a 11-23 start to the season and he was replaced by Tom Sanders. Needless to say, Cowens made it to the All-Star team as the best all-around big man in the league that season.
Scottie Pippen (1994-95)
21.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 5.2 APG, 2.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG
The Chicago Bulls were Michael Jordan’s team and that goes without saying. However, when The Black Cat wasn’t around, it was Scottie Pippen’s turn to step up and try to lead them back to the promised land, which seemed impossible with Jordan retired.
Pippen led the Bulls in all stats and also recorded a league-high 2.9 steals per game that season. The Bulls ended up with a 47-35 record with Jordan joining them for the final 17 games of the season. However, they fell to the Orlando Magic in the second round of the playoffs.
Kevin Garnett (2002-03)
23.0 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG
The Minnesota Timberwolves often struggled to surround Kevin Garnett with top-tier talents. That meant The Big Ticket had to do it all just to barely have a chance to compete, as they weren’t an attractive destination for big-name free agents either.
Thus, back in 2003 Garnett really lived up to the challenge and led his team in all major stats, winning the All-Star MVP and finishing second in the MVP voting behind Tim Duncan. He led the Timberwolves to an impressive 61-21 record, but the Lakers got the best of them in the first round of the playoffs.
LeBron James (2008-09)
28.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG
LeBron James was on a mission back in the 2008-09 season. Some may even say that was the best season in LeBron’s career, as he led a subpar team to a 66-16 record (franchise record) and the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference.
However, the Cavaliers couldn’t contain Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals, losing in 6 games. James wound up winning his first MVP, but we couldn’t get that LeBron-Kobe matchup in the Finals we were all craving for.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (2016-17)
22.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.9 BPG
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only player in NBA history to have improved through all of the seasons he’s been in the league. However, he first put the world on notice during his breakout 2016-17 season, where he led the Bucks in all major stats.
Giannis made a name for himself as a swiss army knife kind of player but his team underperformed en route to a 42-40 record with Jason Kidd as their head coach. They clinched the 6th seed but lost to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.
Next
The Dallas Mavericks All-International Squad
Top 10 Players With The Most 30-Point Games In NBA Playoffs History
Who Came Closer To Michael Jordan: Kobe Bryant Or LeBron James (Breakdown)
The Only Players To Win 3 MVP Awards In A Row
