The 20 NBA Players With The Most Minutes Per Game In A Single Season

Nowadays, the topic of discussion is all about load management and players taking time off to rest even though they may be well enough to play. Everybody that is anybody in the NBA world has weighed in on what star players getting rest means and how it can be detrimental to the game from a competitive standpoint. Fans that buy tickets for hundreds of dollars miss out on the players they came to see and what are supposed to be star-studded matchups turn into the battle of the benches. It can be great basketball at times from a diehard fan’s point of view but it isn’t what we want to see. We haven’t seen a Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James matchup since Christmas 2018.  

Is it the league? Is it the players? Is it the coaches and training staff? We will eventually get the answers to this, but one thing is for sure, it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when players took pride in being on the floor as often as they could possibly be for their teams and played all 82 games in a season. Today, we will discuss the NBA players who averaged the most minutes per game in a single season and how they performed under those conditions. These 20 players defined what it is to be considered durable and an asset to their teams. Most of these players became some of the most accomplished in NBA history winning MVP awards, NBA championships, and Finals MVP awards. Let’s take a look at some of these incredible single seasons. 

These are the 20 NBA players with the most minutes per game in a single season.

20. Elvin Hayes – 45.06 Minutes Per Game (1968-69 Season)

Stats: 28.4 PPG, 17.1 RPG, 1.4 APG

Elvin Hayes’ rookie season is one of the best we have ever seen from a rookie in NBA history. Hayes was the first overall pick by the San Diego Rockets in the 1968 NBA Draft and was set to be the team’s starting center right away. Standing at 6’9’’, Hayes dominated in his first year, bringing home the only scoring title of his career with 28.4 PPG on 44.7% shooting and over 17.0 RPG. Hayes would have been the Rookie of the Year if it weren’t for Wes Unseld who would be his future teammate in just a few years’ time.

As incredible as Hayes was, the Rockets would only win 37 games but still qualify for the playoffs at fourth in the Western Division. Hayes and the Rockets would drop a six-game series to the Atlanta Hawks with Hayes averaging 25.8 PPG and 13.8 RPG in the series. Hayes would remain with the Rockets thru 1972 and go on to win an NBA championship with the Bullets in 1978. He would be a 12-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA Team selection in his 16 years of play in the NBA.

19. John Havlicek – 45.10 Minutes Per Game (1971-72 Season)

Stats: 27.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 7.5 APG

This will not be the last time we see John Havlicek on this list, as the do-it-all Celtic legend was as competitive as they come. Havlicek debuted in the NBA in 1962-63 and would go on to win eight NBA championships in his 16-year career with the Boston Celtics. Even after the days of Bill Russell, Havlicek helped carry on the winning tradition in Boston as he would also earn 13 career All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA Team selections, eight All-Defensive Team selections, and the 1974 Finals MVP.

The 1971-72 season was Havlicek’s 10th in the NBA and second in a row leading the league in minutes per game. He led the Celtics to a 56-26 record and a division title. Boston would go through the first round and the Hawks in six games but run into issues with the Knicks in the Conference Finals. Havlicek and the Celtics fell in five games to New York with Hondo averaging 47.0 minutes per game, 27.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 6.4 APG. The Knicks would lose to the Lakers in the NBA Finals just two weeks later.

18. Bill Russell – 45.17 Minutes Per Game (1961-62 Season)

Stats: 18.9 PPG, 23.6 RPG, 4.5 APG

The 1961-62 season was among the most significant single seasons in NBA history. The MVP race was loaded with talent, with players like Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Elgin Baylor all competing for the honor. The player that eventually came out on top was Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics who logged an incredible 45.17 minutes per game on the season. Russell led the Celtics to a 60-20 record on the year and was lauded for his efforts on rebounds as well as the defensive side of the ball. 

That is what makes Russell’s 45-plus minutes so impressive. He made his mark on the game by doing two of the less sexy aspects of the game at an elite level. Russell wasn’t an offensive juggernaut like the other four MVP candidates, but he defended and rebounded better than almost anyone in the game. Russell would lead the Celtics to their fourth straight NBA championship and fifth overall in his career in 1962. In the playoffs, Russell would average 48.0 minutes per game played, meaning he was on the floor for every second of their championship run.

17. Nate Thurmond – 45.18 Minutes Per Game (1968-69 Season)

Stats: 21.5 PPG, 19.7 RPG, 3.6 APG

Nate Thurmond is one of the more underrated players in NBA history. In his career with the Warriors, Bulls, and Cavaliers, Thurmond was a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Team selection. He played 14 seasons in the NBA and garnered the role of replacing Wilt Chamberlain with the Warriors after he left for the Sixers in 1965. Thurmond thrived without Wilt on the court and some of the best seasons of his career followed. Coincidentally enough, the 1968-69 season was the only non-All-Star season for Thurmond from 1965 thru 1970. 

For Thurmond, playing a ton of minutes was nothing new as he had already logged three other 40.0 minutes per game seasons before 1968-69. This particular season, Thurmond led the Warriors to a .500 record at 41-41. The team made the playoffs but would fall to the Lakers in six games in the very first round. In the series, Thurmond played just over 42.0 minutes per game and averaged 16.7 PPG and 19.5 RPG.

16. Wilt Chamberlain – 45.22 Minutes Per Game (1964-65 Season)

Stats: 34.7 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 3.4 APG

Be prepared to see Wilt Chamberlain’s name on this list far more often than anyone else. Wilt did everything he could to be out on the floor for every possession of his career which may be a part of the reason his career only lasted 14 seasons. Chamberlain was a scoring, rebounding, and defensive machine that was the best player in the world during his prime. By the time 1964-65 came, it was a weird time for Wilt. He wanted to be back in Philadelphia, where he started his career with the Warriors, who had now moved to San Francisco with the Sixers coming to Philly.

He got his wish just over halfway through the season and was traded to the Sixers for the remaining 35 games of the season. Wilt would continue to dominate in his sixth season, winning his sixth straight scoring title and leading the NBA in shooting at 51.0%. He would help the Sixers make the playoffs. In the Conference Finals, Wilt and the Sixers would go toe-to-toe with Bill Russell and the Celtics but fall in seven games, with Wilt playing a whopping 48.7 minutes per game. In his 11 playoff games, Chamberlain averaged 29.3 PPG and 27.2 RPG.

15. Neil Johnston – 45.23 Minutes Per Game (1952-53 Season)

Stats: 22.3 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 2.8 APG

This will not be the last time we see Neil Johnston’s name on this list as one of the pioneers of playing as often as possible. The 1952-53 season was Johnston’s second in the NBA and not only did he lead the NBA in minutes played but he also led in scoring with 22.3 PPG and shooting percentage at 45.2%. Johnston and the Warriors would only win 12 games while losing 57 that season and miss the playoffs by a long shot.

The failures of the Warriors that season can be placed solely on Johnston’s teammates, who did not offer much help to their new star big man. Three players finished with just over 11.0 PPG. Johnston would deliver an NBA championship to Philadelphia in 1956 but his days of playing over 40.0 minutes per game were over by then. In his eight-year NBA career, Johnston was a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA Team selection.

14. Wilt Chamberlain – 45.30 Minutes Per Game (1968-69 Season)

Stats: 20.5 PPG, 21.1 RPG, 4.5 APG

Wilt Chamberlain’s second appearance on our list today is from his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1968-69. Chamberlain had spent nine seasons with the Warriors and Sixers and was two years removed from his first NBA championship with Philadelphia. Wilt would play a total of 81 games this year, leading the NBA in minutes played as well as rebounds with 21.1 RPG and shooting with a 58.3% field goal percentage. Along with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, the Lakers won 55 games and headed to the NBA playoffs.

In the first round, the Lakers took down Wilt’s former team, the San Francisco Warriors in six games and the Atlanta in the Conference Finals in five games. The stage was set for yet another Celtics vs. Lakers Finals and another Russell vs. Chamberlain showdown. The series went seven games as expected, with the Celtics prevailing in the end. Wilt averaged just 11.7 PPG but pulled down 25.0 RPG and saw the court for 47.3 minutes per game.

13. John Havlicek – 45.41 Minutes Per Game (1970-71 Season)

Stats: 28.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 7.5 APG

John Havlicek’s second and final appearance on this list comes one year before the season we discussed previously. This was Havlicek’s ninth season in the NBA and his sixth straight All-Star season as well. Havlicek was tremendous this season, leading the Celtics in both scoring and assists by a fairly wide margin. The team would win 44 games as Havlicek played 81 contests and led the NBA in minutes played.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, this was not good enough to qualify for the NBA playoffs marking the second season in a row this happened to them. Havlicek would redeem himself and the City of Boston with two championships later in the decade in both 1974 and 1976, including a Finals MVP performance in 1974. The stain of a missed playoffs can be erased quickly with the raising of the NBA championship trophy.

12. Wilt Chamberlain – 45.46 Minutes Per Game (1966-67 Season)

Stats: 24.1 PPG, 24.2 RPG, 7.8 APG

The 1966-67 season is yet another one of Wilt Chamberlain’s seasons where he saw the court for over 45.0 minutes per game. This was Wilt’s eighth NBA season and the first in which he did not win a scoring title after doing so in the previous seven seasons. Wilt would still lead the NBA in rebounds with 24.2 RPG, winning the sixth rebounding title of his career out of his NBA-record 11 career rebounding titles as well as his Third MVP award.

The Sixers would go on to win 68 games and looked prime to capture Wilt’s first NBA championship. The Sixers would dismiss the Royals in four games in the first round, and Chamberlain would get the best of Bill Russell’s Celtics in the Division Finals in five games. In the NBA Finals, Wilt and the Sixers were set to take on the Warriors, Wilt’s former team. The Sixers would win in six games for Wilt’s first NBA championship in dominant fashion. For the playoffs, Wilt would play all 15 games and 47.9 minutes per game. He would average 21.7 PPG, 29.1 RPG, and 9.0 APG to make the championship run.

11. Oscar Robertson – 45.61 Minutes Per Game (1964-65 Season)

Stats: 30.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 11.5 APG

The original King of the triple-double, Oscar Robertson, was coming off his only MVP season in 1964 when he set out with the Royals again in 1965. For the fourth time in five seasons, Robertson would average over 30.0 PPG while taking home the assists title as well with over 11.0 APG. Robertson and the Royals would win 48 games on the season and head to the NBA playoffs for the fourth straight season.

The Royals’ luck quickly ran out in the first round as they drew a matchup with Wilt Chamberlain and the Sixers, in which they lost three games to one. For the series, Robertson played an incredible 48.8 minutes per game and averaged 28.09 PPG and 12.0 APG on 42.7% shooting. Of course, this will not be the final time we see Oscar Robertson on today’s list, but it is one of the better seasons of his legendary career.

10. Neil Johnston – 45.78 Minutes Per Game (1953-54 Season)

Stats: 24.4 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.8 APG

After Johnston’s 1952-53 season appeared on this list earlier, he one-upped himself in 1953-54. Johnston would again lead the NBA in both minutes and scoring for the second year in a row, and the Warriors improved from 12 wins to 29 wins on the year. This time around, Johnston only had one teammate, Joe Graboski, who averaged double-digits in points, and no other teammates shot 40.0% from the field.

Johnston and Philadelphia were still two years away from their 1956 championship run, but it was clear who the player they needed to build around was at the time. It would be the final time in Johnston’s career that he would average over 45.0 minutes per game and it was the second of three straight scoring titles for him as well. For 1953-54, Johnston was both an All-Star and All-NBA First Team selection.

9. Oscar Robertson – 45.96 Minutes Per Game (1965-66 Season)

Stats: 31.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 11.1 APG

Oscar Robertson also makes his second and final appearance on our list today with a follow-up to his 1964-65 season that already landed him here. In 1965-66, Robertson would play 76 games at just under 46.0 minutes per game and have the fifth 30.0 PPG season of his career as well as his fifth assists title in six seasons. This time, the Royals would win 45 games on the year with Jerry Lucas and Adrian Smith backing up Robertson with support. 

Once again, the Royals would draw bad luck in their first-round matchup and face off against Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics. The series would go the full five games as Robertson and Lucas played extremely well, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to take down Boston. Robertson would play all five games at 44.8 minutes per game and average 31.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 7.8 APG.

8. Tiny Archibald – 46.01 Minutes Per Game ( 1972-73 Season)

Stats: 34.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 11.4 APG

The 1972-73 season was a historic one for Nate “Tiny” Archibald. It was just his third season in the NBA as he led the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in their first year in their new arena. Archibald would make NBA history, becoming the first player to lead the NBA in PPG and APG with 34.0 PPG and 11.4 APG on 48.8% shooting from the field.

The Kings’ 36-46 record was not enough to make the playoffs, but it marked the beginning of the ascension of Archibal individually. It was his first All-Star selection as well as his first All-NBA First Team selection. Archibald would stay with the Kings for three more seasons and end up with the Nets, Celtics, and Bucks for the remainder of his career. Overall, he would make six All-Star Teams and five All-NBA Teams in his career and win an NBA championship with Boston in 1981.

7. Wilt Chamberlain – 46.11 Minutes Per Game (1963-64 Season)

Stats: 36.9 PPG, 22.3 RPG, 5.0 APG

If you are getting tired of Wilt Chamberlain on this list, I have bad news for you, as he is the only player left to fill in the final seven spots. The first of those Top Seven minutes played seasons was in 1963-64, Wilt’s fifth season in the NBA and final full season as a member of the San Francisco Warriors. Chamberlain would win his fifth straight scoring title at 36.9 PPG and miss out on the rebounding title for the first time in his career but still grabbed 22.3 RPG.

On the season, the Warriors would go 48-32, qualifying for the NBA playoffs once again. After receiving a first-round bye, the Warriors would go seven games with the St. Louis hawks in the Division Finals. After claiming victory in the seventh game, this set up a clash of titans between Bill Russel’s Celtics and Wilt’s Warriors. Of course, the series didn’t turn out that way, as the Celtics downed the Warriors in five games for another NBA title. For the playoffs, Chamberlain averaged 46.5 minutes on the court and 34.7 PPG along with 25.2 RPG.

6. Wilt Chamberlain – 46.36 Minutes Per Game (1959-60 Season)

Stats: 37.6 PPG, 27.0 RPG, 2.3 APG

Wilt’s rookie season is one of the greatest rookie campaigns in NBA history. Chamberlain was already projected to be one of the best players in the NBA coming out of the draft, but the level at which he started his career was unheard of. Wilt would cruise to a scoring title, rebounding title, All-Star appearance, Rookie of the Year award, and the MVP award. It was a near-perfect start to his career as he led the Warriors to 49 wins and a spot in the playoffs.

The Warriors would take care of business in the first round defeating the Syracuse Nationals in three games. The Division Finals saw the first-ever playoff clash between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, which went Boston’s way as it did for the most part throughout their careers. Chamberlain impressed in his first playoffs, however, averaging 46.1 minutes per game, 33.2 PPG, and 25.8 RPG.

5. Wilt Chamberlain – 46.78 Minutes Per Game (1967-68 Season)

Stats: 24.3 PPG, 23.8 RPG, 8.6 APG

The 1967-68 season can be argued as the best season of Wilt Chamberlain’s career. Sure, he didn’t win a scoring title or lead his team to a championship, but what he accomplished individually was outstanding. Wilt would win yet another rebounding title during the season and take home his third consecutive MVP award, giving him four for his career. He also would lead the NBA in assists with 8.6 APG marking the first time that had been done by a center in NBA history.

In his final season in Philadelphia, Chamberlain would lead the Sixers to 62 wins and a spot in the NBA playoffs. After taking care of the Knicks in six games in round one, Chamberlain met up with a familiar foe in the next round, Bill Russell and the Celtics. Once again, the Celtics would take the series in seven games this time, as they always seemed to have Wilt’s number, or at least his team’s. For the playoffs, Wilt averaged 48.5 minutes per game, 23.7 PPG, and 24.7 RPG.

4. Wilt Chamberlain – 47.30 Minutes Per Game (1965-66 Season)

Stats: 33.5 PPG, 24.6 RPG, 5.2 APG

After spending the first five and a half seasons of his career with the Warriors, Chamberlain set out for his first full season with the Sixers in 1965-66. It would be an incredible year for Wilt and the Sixers as he grabbed his second MVP with a scoring title, rebounding title, and leading the NBA in shooting at 54.0%. The Sixers would win 55 games and head toward the playoffs with a championship on their minds.

Unfortunately for Philadelphia, those plans were very short-lived. After getting a first-round bye, the Sixers drew yet another matchup with the Celtics, and we had yet another Russell-Wilt clash on our hands. The series would last just five games, with Boston rolling through the Sixers on their way to another NBA championship over the Lakers. Chamberlain would play 48.0 minutes per game and average 28.0 PPG and 30.2 RPG, the only time he ever pulled down 30.0 or more rebounds in the playoffs.

3. Wilt Chamberlain – 47.58 Minutes Per Game (1962-63 Season)

Stats: 44.8 PPG, 24.3 RPG, 3.4 APG

The 1962-63 season marked the first season in which the Warriors would play their games in California rather than Philadelphia. Now, Wilt always wanted to be in Philadelphia, and he made that abundantly clear to everyone around him, but he made things work in San Francisco for a bit. This season would mark the third straight scoring and rebounding title for Wilt as he led the team to just a 31-49 record despite averaging over 40.0 PPG.

The Warriors would miss the NBA playoffs for the first time in Chamberlain’s career, and he was extremely unhappy about it. It would be the only season that he ever missed the playoffs in his career. Chamberlain played 80 games which led the NBA, as well as his leading 47.6 minutes on the court.

2. Wilt Chamberlain – 47.76 Minutes Per Game (1960-61 Season)

Stats: 38.4 PPG, 27.2 RPG, 1.9 APG

The production of Chamberlain in these first three seasons of his career is staggering. This 1961 season marked just the second season of Wilt’s career and the second straight season with at least 37.0 PPG and 27.0 RPG. It also marked the first time Wilt would lead the NBA in shooting percentage as he finished 50.9% of his shots and led the Warriors to a 46-33 record on the season.

The Warriors headed toward the playoffs with the belief that they could definitely compete for the NBA championship as long as Wilt was on the court. Those beliefs quickly turned to dust as they were swept in three games by the Syracuse Nationals in the first round. In the three games, Chamberlain played 48.0 minutes per game and averaged 37.0 PPG as well as 23.0 RPG.

1. Wilt Chamberlain – 48.50 Minutes Per Game (1961-62 Season)

Stats: 50.4 PPG, 25.7 RPG, 2.4 APG

The 1961-62 season is the greatest single season that didn’t result in an NBA championship ever. In my onion, Wilt was robbed of MVP when he averaged an NBA-record 50.4 PPG, a feat that will never be duplicated in our lifetime. Not only that, but Chamberlain played 48.5 minutes per game, meaning he averaged more minutes than there are in a standard NBA game. This means he played every minute of every regulation game and every minute of every overtime game as well.

Wilt’s historic season netted the Warriors 49 wins and another trip to the NBA playoffs. In the NBA playoffs, Wilt led the Warriors to a first-round defeat of the Syracuse Nationals, which set up a meeting with, you guessed it, Bills Russell and Boston Celtics. Just as it would be for most of his career, Wilt and the Warriors fell to Boston in seven games, and Boston would go on to win the NBA championship. In the playoffs, Wilt would average 48.0 minutes per game as well as 35.0 PPG and 26.6 RPG in 12 games played. 

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