Michael Jordan was destined for greatness, and he showed that in his very second season with the Chicago Bulls by scoring over 3,000 points in a single season.
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And that feat made him the only player to have hit the milestone since Wilt Chamberlain, who surpassed that figure for two consecutive seasons in 1961-62 and 1962-63.
NBA writer and statistician Brett Usher gave the world another example of Jordan’s prolific scoring by focusing on his 1986-87 season that saw him notch up 3,041 points — an edition that defined him as one of the greatest ever superstars who would find himself to be in the pantheon of NBA legends soon.
He also outlined that Jordan (2,868 points in 1987-88), Kobe Bryant (2,832 in 2005-05), and James Harden (2,818 in 2018-19) were the only players to have come relatively close.
The present NBA season sees Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum lead with 2,225 points, while Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid trails with 2,183.
Michael Jordan really scored THREE THOUSAND points in a single season (1986-87)
It hadn’t been done since Wilt in 1962-63, and it hasn’t been done since
The top three totals since are:
-MJ in 1987-88 (2,868)
-Kobe in 2005-06 (2,832)
-Harden in 2018-19 (2,818)
Jayson Tatum led… pic.twitter.com/ieCP9Y5zQW
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) April 10, 2023
Below is the list of the top 10 players who scored the most points in a single season since 1962-63:
1. Michael Jordan – 3,041 points (1986-87)
2. Michael Jordan – 2,868 points (1987-88)
3. Kobe Bryant – 2,832 points (2005-06)
4. Bob McAdoo – 2,831 (1974-75)
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 2,822 (1971-72)
6. James Harden – 2,818 (2018-19)
7. Rick Barry – 2,775 (1966-67)
8. Michael Jordan – 2,753 (1989-90)
9. Nate Archibald – 2,719 (1972-73)
10. Elgin Baylor – 2,719 (1962-63)
Here are Wilt Chamberlain’s seasons where he scored over 3,000 points.
1. 4,029 (1961-62)
2. 3,586 (1962-63)
3. 3,033 (1960-61)
On a side note, Chamberlain had two seasons where he surpassed 2,500+ points. He had 2,707 points in the 1959-60 season and 2,649 in 1965-66. His major exploits came when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jordan won the most scoring titles in NBA history, and the most amazing part was that he averaged at least 30 points per game in eight of those 10 seasons where he was the best scorer in the league.
Is Michael Jordan The Greatest NBA Player Ever?
To answer that question in one word, yes, he is. Earlier, Fadeaway World’s very own Eddie Bitar documented the 10 reasons why Jordan is the GOAT.
The Bulls legend never lost in the NBA Finals, he won two-three peats and five MVP awards, and six Finals MVP Awards, becoming an automatic choice for the best to ever play the game. His winning mentality and obsessiveness are unmatched, but it was also his love for the game that was really remarkable.
His thoughts on winning and leadership in ‘The Last Dance’ perhaps give an inkling of why he was one of the greatest ever to play the game.
“Winning has a price. And leadership has a price,” Jordan explained in Episode 7. “So I pulled people along when they didn’t want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn’t want to be challenged. And I earned that right because [other] teammates came after me. They didn’t endure all the things that I endured. Once you joined the team, you lived at a certain standard that I played the game. And I wasn’t going to take anything less.”
The only player who really comes close to Jordan is LeBron James. But, In their full comparison, Jordan beat the King 5-3 in all major categories. However, there is a way how James can still surpass the Bulls icon, but that would be a mission impossible for the Lakers superstar.
Right now, Michael Jordan is the greatest player who ever played in the NBA, and we will see if any of the players can match him or surpass him in the near future.
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