As we’ve seen throughout history, scoring 60+ points in an NBA game is something just a handful of players has been able to do. I mean, you’re going at it vs. the greatest defenders on earth and it’s never easy to get into that kind of zone.
Surprisingly, some scorers find a way to stay relevant until the very end of their careers. You know what they say: The shot is the last part of the game that goes away, and these guys have surely proved that. Regardless of if they lost a bit of their athleticism or speed, they still get the job done.
Some players have been able to torch opposing defenses despite not being kids anymore and today, we’re going to honor them by letting you know about the top oldest players that scored 60+ points in an NBA game:
10. Rick Barry – 64 Points
(29 Years, 363 Days)
Long before Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, or the Splash Brothers era, Rick Barry was considered the greatest scorer in Golden State Warriors history and for very good reasons. Despite his unorthodox free-throw shooting routine, he was a walking bucket and quite a solid shooter.
Barry proved it back on March 26, 1974; when he demolished the Portland Trail Blazers with a career-high 60 points during a 143-120 win. Rick Barry played all but five minutes of the game and knocked down 27 of his 49 field goal attempts.
9. Damian Lillard – 61 Points
(30 Years, 27 Days)
It took him a while but Damian Lillard finally started getting all the praise and recognition he deserves as one of the best scorers in the NBA. And for those who still didn’t take him seriously, he delivered this 61-point explosion in the NBA bubble.
Lillard put the Portland Trail Blazers on his back and completely demolished the Dallas Mavericks with 61 points, leading his team to a narrow 134-131 win. He went 18 of 18 from the free-throw line and knocked down 9 three-pointers.
8. James Harden – 61 Points
(30 Years, 96 Days)
There was a stretch when James Harden was putting the most absurd numbers in the league, stats that no one had put since Kobe Bryant’s prime. He was the most unstoppable offensive juggernaut in the world and it wasn’t even close.
Back in November 2019, Harden cooked the Atlanta Hawks for 60 points and the most impressive part is that he didn’t even play in the fourth quarter. He had 13, 18, and 29, and the Houston Rockets won 158-111 thanks to that masterpiece.
7. Kobe Bryant – 61 Points
(30 Years, 163 Days)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMluwP1C8gg
Kobe Bryant had already established as one of the greatest scorers to ever do it but it had been a while since he had seen one of his signature statement games. That was, of course, until he became the rival player with the most points in a game at the Madison Square Garden.
The Black Mamba completely owned the New York Knicks and gave them a 61-point performance to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-117 win. He scored 18, 16, 12, and 15 points in each quarter and did all of his damage in just 37 minutes.
6. Tom Chambers – 60 Points
(30 Years, 276 Days)
Perhaps Tom Chambers isn’t the kind of player you think about when you talk about the greatest scorers of all time. Then again, he still managed to write his game in basketball history thanks to his majestic performance on March 24, 1990.
Chambers carried the load for the Phoenix Suns with 60 points, helping them beat the Seattle Supersonics 121-95. He played 43 minutes and knocked down 22 of his 33 attempts from the floor. More impressively, he didn’t score a single three-pointer.
5. Wilt Chamberlain – 68 Points
(31 Years, 117 Days)
Wilt Chamberlain made a living out of posting video-game-like numbers in the NBA since day one. He was an unstoppable force of nature and perhaps the most athletic player in basketball history, even towards the sunset of his career.
Chamberlain was sure to prove that when he scored a whopping 68 points vs. the Chicago Bulls when he still played for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers won 143 – 123 and knocked down 30 of his 40 field goal attempts, although he went just 8/22 from the line.
4. Wilt Chamberlain – 60 Points
(32 Years, 158 Days)
As we mentioned before, Wilt Chamberlain never ceased to amaze during his career in the NBA. In fact, the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets even tried to bring him back from retirement at 50 years old, which is a true testament to how great he was.
Chamberlain had one of the most dominant stretches of his career in early 1969 with the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 60 points in a 126-113 win over the Cincinnati Royals, going 22/36 from the field and a surprising 22/26 from the charity stripe.
3. Wilt Chamberlain – 66 Points
(32 Years, 172 Days)
Then, exactly two weeks later, Wilt Chamberlain was able to build on that 60-point game with an even more impressive stat line. This time, the former Harlem Globetrotter scored 66 points and helped the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns 134-116.
Perhaps the most impressive stat about this notable game is the fact that Wilt played all 48 minutes. He was already a veteran but that never took a toll on his production. He scored 17, 17, 22, and 10 points that night and went 29/35 from the floor.
2. Stephen Curry – 62 Points
(32 Years, 295 Days)
Stephen Curry is the kind of player that you always have to watch because you never know when he’s going to pull off something incredible. However, he hadn’t had an offensive outburst as incredible as the one he had on January 3 when people were questioning his legacy.
Curry took criticism personally and had one of the greatest offensive performances ever by scoring a career-high 62 points vs. the Portland Trail Blazers. He scored 21, 10, 14, and 17 points and went 18/31 from the field with 8 three-pointers and 18 free-throws. More impressively, he did that in just 36 minutes.
1. Kobe Bryant – 60 Points
(37 Years, 234 Days)
And, obviously, none of these performances will ever top what Kobe Bryant was able to do during his very last game as a professional. He took almost every shot for the Los Angeles Lakers and led them to a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz, knocking them out of playoff contention.
Kobe had the most fitting ending to a legendary career by saying goodbye to the league with a 60-point performance at 37 years old. He played 42 minutes and went 22/50 from the floor with 6 three-pointers and 10 free-throws before his epic ‘Mamba Out’ speech.
Credit: CrossNposter
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