The NBA Players Who Scored The Most Points Before Turning 20 Years Old

Throughout NBA history, and more so recently, young NBA talent has been prevalent around the league. Players continue to make their debut while they are still teenagers, and the amount of players doing so continues to increase. Some of these players stand out above the others, especially when it comes to offense and scoring the basketball. From the moment these players stepped foot on the basketball court for the first time in the NBA, we knew how special they could and would be.

Some of the players on our list today either went to the NBA straight of high school or were one-and-done in college. These 10 NBA players came into the league and proved they were ready for the big leagues before they could even legally purchase their first adult beverage. Some names on this list will provide the shock value you seek, while other names are expected to be here. Either way, these are the best scorers as teenagers in NBA history.

Here are the 10 NBA players who scored the most total points before turning 20 years old.

10. Tracy McGrady – 909 Points

At his peak, Tracy McGrady is well-known for his incredible scoring ability and propensity to deliver in the clutch. He won scoring titles and shocked audiences everywhere with his high-scoring games and miraculous moments. It wasn’t always that way, however, as McGrady struggled to get much playing time in his first few seasons with the Toronto Raptors. He made his rookie debut at 18 years old with the Raptors during the 1997-98 season.

McGrady’s rookie season was nothing to write home about. He appeared in 64 games and made 17 starts. At just 18.4 minutes power game, McGrady averaged 7.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.0 BPG for the Raptors. He played in a total of 113 games as a teenager in the NBA, with 49 of them coming in his second year. During his second season, McGrady averaged 9.3 PPG on 43.6% shooting. McGrady’s name would have been much further up this list had he been able to get a faster start in Toronto.

9. Kevin Knox – 963 Points

When Kevin Knox was drafted as a 19-year-old with the 9th overall pick by the Knicks, the team gave him a chance to shine right away. Knox debuted at 19 during the 2018-19 season and appeared in 75 games with 57 starts. All of these games would be before he turned 20 years old. In his rookie season with the Knicks, Knox had his best season as a pro by far. He averaged 12.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.1 APG on 37.0% shooting.

In the 4 seasons since his rookie campaign, things have gone awry for the forward from Tampa, Florida. Knox was relegated to the bench every year since 2019 and, in 2022, was traded to the Hawks in exchange for Cam Reddish, who also isn’t seeing much time on the court in New York at this current time. Knox is spending the 2022-23 season with the Detroit Pistons. He has appeared in 19 games off the bench for Detroit and is averaging 5.1 PPG and 2.3 RPG on 45.6% shooting.

8. Devin Booker – 1,087 points

As of the 2022-23 season, Devin Booker has established himself as one of the best overall players in basketball. His scoring has improved every season, and he has found a permanent home with the Phoenix Suns. He has already helped lead Phoenix to an NBA Finals in 2021 and the best record in basketball in both 2021-22 and the start of 2022-23. Booker went through some grueling seasons before the Suns started to build the right team around him.

Booker played 78 games early on as a 19-year-old out of Kentucky. He played in 76 of those games as a rookie in Phoenix for a team that won just 23 games. Under coach Jeff Hornacek, Booker made 51 starts as a rookie. He averaged 13.8 PPG on 42.3% shooting overall and 34.3% from 3-point range. Booker’s best performance as a rookie came when he had 35 points on 12-24 shooting in a loss against the Nuggets. Of course, Booker’s scoring has much improved as he averages 28.4 PPG so far in 2022-23.

7. Luka Doncic – 1,194 Points

Luka Doncic may have accomplished the most before turning 20 out of any player on this list. Doncic was already a professional player for Real Madrid and MVP for them before he set his sights on the NBA. From the moment he debuted, fans and experts alike saw just how special he was going to become. In 2022-23, that potential is hitting its apex as we speak as he pushes for his first MVP award. The keys were handed to Luka as a rookie almost straight away as he received the proverbial torch to the Dallas Mavericks from legend Dirk Nowitzki.

Luka debuted as a 19-year-old with the Mavericks during the 2918-19 season. Out of 72 starts, he made that season, 57 of them came as a teenager. Donvcic cruised to the Rookie of the Year award with 21.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG. The world was put on notice as we watched this young man make grown men, and veterans looked confused as he pick them apart with the ball in his hands. Those predictions have begun to come to fruition as Doncic has begun to make his case for the title of the best player in the world.

6. Dwight Howard – 1,243 Points

Coming straight out of high school, it could be seen right away what a force Dwight Howard was going to be in the NBA. Not only was he one of the best personalities in basketball in the blink of an eye, but his play on the court solidified that he could be headed for superstar status. Howard is currently playing overseas in Taiwan after 18 incredible seasons in the league. At his peak, he was the most dominant player we have seen since Shaq, who also led Orlando to the Finals at a young age, just like Howard did in 2009.

Howard played exactly 100 games as a 19-year-old for the Magic before his 20th birthday happened during his second season. Howard started 18 games as a rookie with the Magic and averaged 12.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 2004-05. Just a few seasons later, he would be recognized as the best defensive player in basketball and take the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009. Howard has won 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards, 5 rebounding titles, and 2 block titles in his career. He also earned his first NBA championship in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

5. Anthony Edwards – 1,392 Points

Anthony Edwards is the only player on this list to debut during the 2020-21 season or later. Edwards broke onto the scene as the No. 1 overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves at 19 years old. Edwards’ skill was on full display from the outset of his career, even if he had lost the Rookie of the Year race to LaMelo Ball. Edwards’ development over the past 3 seasons has Minnesota poised to make a real playoff push in the near future with Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert as the foundation.

As for his rookie season as a 19-year-old, Edwards made 72 starts for the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves would win just 23 games, but the future was bright with Edwards on the court. He would average 19.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.1 SPG. Minnesota knew they had their franchise star when he went off for 42 points on 2 different occasions during that rookie season displaying three-level scoring and a true feel for the game at such a young age.

4. Kevin Durant – 1,624 Points

As it stands, Kevin Durant is known as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Durant had evolved into a 7’0’’ unstoppable weapon on offense, surely headed straight for the Hall Of Fame when his career is over. The skill and potential were already the topics of conversation when he came out of Texas after one year at the school. Durant debuted at 19 years old in 2007-8 when the Thunder were still in Seattle and known as the SuperSonics.

Durant would start 80 games for the SuperSonics during his rookie season. He would cruise to the Rookie of the Year award with 20.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.0 SPG. His efficiency wasn’t yet at the level it is today, as he shot 28.8% from three. As well all know, that got better as Durant evolved his game. Durant has gone on to earn an MVP award, 2 NBA titles, and 2 Finals MVP awards, along with 4 scoring titles. With the Brooklyn Nets in 2022-23, Durant is averaging 29.9 PPG on 55.3% shooting from the field.

3. Carmelo Anthony – 1,725 Points

I have a definitive feeling that most NBA fans in today’s world have truly forgotten how much of a talented scorer Carmelo Anthony was as a young man with the Denver Nuggets. Anthony was the 3rd overall pick to the Nuggets in 2003 after leading Syracuse to a national title in his only season in college. Anthony proved to be ready almost immediately as he set foot in the NBA. He displayed strength, great shot-creation skills, and an array of moves that no defender could stop.

As a rookie at 19 years old, Anthony played and started in all 82 games for the Nuggets. Anthony battled admirably with LeBron James for the Rookie of the Year award and eventually lost to the King. Anthony’s numbers at the end of his rookie season were 21.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.2 SPG. Anthony would go on to insert his name into the Top 10 for scoring in NBA history and win himself a scoring title in 2013.

2. Kobe Bryant – 1,759 Points

Out of everyone included on today’s list, Kobe Bryant played more games than anyone before he turned 20 years old. Bryant came out of high school as one of the nation’s top players, ready to make his mark on the NBA. Bryant would go on to become one of the biggest icons in the sport’s history, winning 5 NBA championships and 2 Finals MVP awards in his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant would complete 2 seasons in the NBA before turning 20 years old for a total of 150 games as a teenager.

These 2 seasons as a teenager saw Bryant come off the bench for the most part, with just 7 starts in 150 appearances. He became an All-Star at 19 during his second season. His rookie year saw him play just 15.5 minutes per game and average 7.6 PPG on 41.7% shooting. The second season of his career saw him take a massive All-Star leap. Bryant appeared in 79 games with only 1 start and still averaged 15.4 PPG on 42.8% shooting from the field. Just 2 seasons later, Bryant would help the Lakers capture 3 straight championships from 2000 through 2002.

1. LeBron James – 2,362 Points

Has any one player had more expectations bestowed upon them than LeBron James did coming out of high school in 2003? This is a kid who was proclaimed as the chosen gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teen. It is safe to say that James has shattered those expectations and gone on to become a 4-time champion, 4-time Finals MVP, and a 4-time MVP. James is also gunning to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2022-23 with the Lakers.

James played a total of 108 NBA games as a teen, having started all 108 of them. LeBron battled his way to the Rookie of the Year award in 2003-04 with 20.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 1.6 SPG. He began his second season as a 19-year-old, playing 29 games before turning 20. In total, as a teenager, James averaged 21.9 PPG on 43.5% shooting. No other player before the age of 20 has had the impact on a team as James did with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It is one of many reasons that some believe LeBron James has the greatest career of all time.

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