Now more than ever, the NBA is a shooter’s league. With the modernized system of basketball emphasizing offense and three-point shooting, the NBA is seeing games with unprecedented scores.
Of course, some players are better at putting the ball in the hoop than others.
For as much slack as a guy like James Harden gets for his one-sided style of play, he’s among the league’s All-Time greatest scorers, with a career average of over 25 points per game. He also leads the league, by far, in 50-point games by active players, totaling 23 in just 11 seasons.
That mark is significantly higher than others on the list, which includes LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant. It’s also the fourth-most of All-Time, just two games under Kobe Bean Bryant (25) and 8 games under Michael Jordan (31).
Most 50 point games by active players:
23-James Harden
12-LeBron James
11-Damian Lillard
8-Steph Curry
6-Kevin Durant
5-Russell Westbrook
4-Anthony Davis
4-Bradley Beal
4-Kyrie Irving
4-Carmelo Anthony pic.twitter.com/Fcmcr7Mt6L
— Just a fan of a fan (@ALLICONICSPORTS) February 7, 2021
As the best shooter of All-Time, it’s no surprise that Steph Curry is nearing double-digits in this category. Over his 11 years in the NBA, he has become a fan favorite for his performance on the basketball court. His career-high,62, came as recently as last month.
For Damian Lillard, his years of carrying the Portland Trail Blazers have led to some explosive games. He’s third on the active players list with 11 50-point games, and anyone that has kept up with him should not be surprised. He, very fittingly, tied his career-high (61) during the 2020 bubble playoffs, securing the eighth and final playoff spot for his team.
If there’s an NBA list out there, it’s a pretty sure bet that LeBron James resides somewhere on it. As the face of basketball and, arguably the GOAT, there are myriads of ways he can dominate his opponent. His highest scoring outing was back in 2014, when he dropped 61 in a game against Charlotte.
James Harden is clearly the best scorer in the league right now, as evidenced by his astounding mark of 23 50-point games. Whether it was with the Thunder, Rockets, or now, in Brooklyn, Harden has always been an expert ball-handler and shooter. On January 23, 2019, he dropped a career-high 61 points against the Knicks.
With many of these players still having years ahead of them in their careers, it’ll be interesting to see what more they’ll be able to do with the time they have left.
Regardless, they should be celebrated for their insane scoring ability– no matter what their reputation might be.
