The Greatest All-Time NBA Scoring Teams

In recent weeks, we revealed the greatest All-Time Defensive Teams in NBA history. Today, we focus on the other side of the ball strictly as it pertains to putting the ball in the basket. Basketball is simple in that if you do not score the ball, you can’t win games just as if you can’t stop the other team from scoring, you can’t win games either.

These three teams will feature the greatest scoring guards, forwards, and centers in NBA history based on career points per game, total points, and scoring titles. Most of these players were able to lead their teams to the goal of becoming NBA champions with their scoring ability while others earned countless individual accolades that earned them a spot on this honorable list.

These are the NBA’s greatest all-time scoring teams.

All-Scoring First Team

Guard – Allen Iverson

Career Points Per Game: 26.7 PPG

Allen Iverson is one of the most impressive scorers in NBA history and his spot on the All-Scoring First Team solidifies that. Iverson was armed with some of the greatest ball-handling skills we have ever seen which aided in his explosive scoring ability. Standing just 6’0’’, Iverson attacked the rim with the fearlessness and ferocity we have only come to expect from larger guards and forwards over the years, adding to his legacy as an all-time great scorer.

Iverson played the first 11 and a half seasons of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers where he went on to win all four of his career scoring titles and average 27.6 points per game. In 2001, he captured the MVP award with 31.1 points per game on 42.0% shooting from the floor. It was one of four seasons that he averaged over 30.0 points per game and one of 10 seasons he averaged over 25.0 points per game.

Iverson would finish his career top 10 in 35-point games and 40-point games from 1983-84, averaging 26.7 points per game for 14 seasons. His spot on the First Team is completely warranted.

Guard – Michael Jordan

Career Points Per Game: 30.1 PPG

We can’t have an all-time scoring team without the greatest scorer in NBA history and that is Michael Jordan. Armed with the greatest mid-range shot in NBA history and a relentless first step to the basket, Jordan became the game’s greatest player. He led the Bulls to six NBA championships with six Finals MVP awards, five MVP awards, and nine All-Defensive First Team selections.

As for his scoring, Jordan holds plenty of records that may end up never being broken. His 30.1 career points per game are the most in NBA history as are his 10 scoring titles. Jordan recorded eight seasons with at least 30.0 points per game as well as 12 seasons with at least 25.0 points per game all while shooting 49.7% for the entirety of his career.

In 13 seasons with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 31.5 points per game on 50.5% shooting from the field in one of the most dominant runs for any player in NBA history. He is widely considered the greatest scorer in NBA history with unobtainable metrics solidifying that have withstood the test of time.

Forward – Kevin Durant

Career Points Per Game: 27.3 PPG

Taking the first forward spot will be another one of the greatest mid-range shooters in NBA history, Kevin Durant. Overall, Durant was built for the offensive side of the ball with a 7’0’’ frame and the ball-handling skills of a guard. Durant is one of the most efficient scorers in NBA history with multiple 50/40/90 shooting seasons and the only 55/40/90 season in NBA history.

During his career, Durant has four NBA scoring titles which he obtained in five seasons from 2010 through 2014 averaging 29.3 points per game on 48.9% shooting overall. Durant has two seasons with at least 30.0 points per game as well as 15 seasons out of 16 averaging at least 25.0 points per game.

Durant’s skill set as a scorer has been virtually unmatched by any forward in NBA history and recently, he passed Hakeem Olajuwon to reach 12th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He has the opportunity to reach at least the fifth-place position before he retires.

Forward – Karl Malone

Career Points Per Game: 25.0 PPG

When talking about power forwards in NBA history who were both dominant and consistent during their careers scoring the ball, Karl Malone sits at the top of the list. Malone played 19 seasons from 1986 through 2004, most notably with the Utah Jazz for 18 seasons averaging 25.4 points per game on 51.7% shooting.

The pick-and-roll between him and John Stockton was one of the most unstoppable plays in the NBA during the 80s and 90s thanks to Malone’s ability to both finish at the rim with authority or knock down short mid-range jumpers regularly. Malone never won a scoring title but he did record the most total points during the 1990s decade while also averaging 25.0 points per game or more from 1988 through 1998 consecutively.

Malone also has the third-most total points in NBA history with 36,928 during his career. His career-high in scoring would come in 1990 when he averaged 31.0 points per game on 56.2% shooting. In his career, Malone would earn two MVP awards, 14 All-Star selections, and 14 All-NBA Team selections while helping lead the Jazz to their only two Finals appearances in team history.

Center – Wilt Chamberlain

Career Points Per Game: 30.07 PPG

No player dominated the NBA on a statistical level more than Wilt Chamberlain did from 196- through 1973. From the moment he entered the NBA, Chamberlain was a dominant force on the court with 37.6 points per game during his rookie MVP campaign. Chamberlain would go on to break several NBA records that will stand forever just as they have for the last 55-plus years.

Chamberlain holds the NBA record for most points in a game with 100 against the Knicks in 1962 as well as an NBA record 50.4 points per game that same season. Chamberlain owns the four highest-scoring seasons in NBA history and five of the 10 highest-scoring seasons. Chamberlain would win seven straight scoring titles to begin his career and ranks seventh in NBA history with 31,419 career points.

When it comes to dominant scorers at their peaks, it is hard to argue against Chamberlain as the best we have ever seen.

All-Scoring Second Team

Guard – Stephen Curry

Career Points Per Game: 24.7 PPG

At some point, the King of the Three-Pointer was going to show his face. Since 2010, Stephen Curry has solidified himself as the greatest shooter in NBA history, shattering almost every three-point record that ever stood before he entered the NBA. Curry is more than just a shooter on the offensive end, however, with the ability to get by defenders and finish with superb finesse at the rim.

In his career, Stephen Curry has been able to capture two NBA scoring titles in both 2016 and 2021. He has had three seasons with at least 30.0 points per game and eight seasons with at least 25.0 points per game. The most impressive thing about his shooting and scoring is his mix of volume and efficiency. Curry recorded a 50/40/90 season during his unanimous MVP season shooting 45.4% from three on 11.8 attempts.

For his career, Curry is a 47.5% overall shooter and 42.8% three-point shooter on an average of 9.0 attempts. It is truly something we may never see again in our lifetimes.

Guard – Kobe Bryant

Career Points Per Game: 25.0 PPG

The next guard on the All-Time Scoring Second Team is a near-spitting image of the shooting guard from the First Team. For 21 seasons from 1996 through 2016, Kobe Bryant became a global icon with the way he mirrored Michael Jordan’s game. From his identical post moves and fadeaways to his relentless will to win, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest competitors in NBA history.

In 21 seasons in the NBA, Bryant would help lead the Lakers to five NBA titles while winning two Finals MVP awards and an MVP award in 2008. Bryant captured two scoring titles in his career in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007 as well. Bryant surpassed the 30.0 points per game mark three times in his career while averaging 25.0 points or better 12 times.

Bryant also ranks fourth in NBA history with 33,643 points in his career. He scored the second-most points in a game in NBA history with 81 against the Raptors and in his final game against the Utah Jazz, he left us with one final 60-game performance.

Forward – LeBron James

Career Points Per Game: 27.2 PPG

As the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James is the player on the Second Team with the biggest argument to be on the First Team. For 21 years, LeBron James has been the most consistent scorer in NBA history with 25.0 points per game or better every year since 2004-05. James has elevated himself into the GOAT conversation with four NBA titles, four Finals MVP awards, and four MVP awards with the Cavaliers, Heat, and Lakers.

In his career, LeBron James has three seasons with at least 30.0 points per game and one scoring title which he captured in 2008 with 30.0 points per game. While most of his scoring comes from his unbelievable strength to barrel through all defenders at the rim, he also possessed a decent jumper throughout his career.

In 2022-23, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, cementing his legacy as one of the game’s greatest scorers ever despite being known as a “pass-first” player by many.

Forward – Elgin Baylor

Career Points Per Game: 27.4 PPG

Elgin Baylor remains one of the most underrated players in NBA history but as a scorer, what he delivered can never be forgotten. From 1959 through 1972, Baylor spent 14 seasons with the Lakers averaging 27.4 points per game on 43.1% shooting. Despite never winning an NBA championship, Baylor helped build the Lakers’ legacy in Los Angeles with 11 All-Star selections and 10 All-NBA Team selections to his name.

Baylor peaked as a scorer during the 1962 season when he averaged 38.3 points per game on 42.8% shooting. Baylor would have three seasons with at least 34.0 points per game and eight seasons with at least 25.0 points per game. His scoring was not limited to the regular season as he recorded the most points ever in an NBA Finals game with 61 points against the Celtics in 1962 and a career 26.4 points per game in the NBA Finals in his career.

Center – Shaquille O’Neal

Career Points Per Game: 23.7 PPG

Shaquille O’Neal at his peak is the most dominant force in NBA history. Shaq got his start with the Orlando Magic in 1992-93 and over the next 19 seasons, became one of the greatest offensive presences in NBA history. In his first four years with Orlando, he won a scoring title in 1995 while averaging 27.2 points per game on 58.1% shooting but the best was yet to come.

When O’Neal moved on to the Lakers, his legend only grew as he dominated the early 2000s. He captured another scoring title in 2000 with 29.7 points per game while leading the Lakers to three NBA championships and capturing all three Finals MVP awards. In eight seasons with the Lakers, O’Neal averaged 27.0 points per game on 57.5% shooting, leading the NBA a total of 10 times in field goal percentage in his career.

Sure, O’Neal’s range was pretty much limited to five feet in any direction from the basket but within that distance, he was the greatest there has ever been. O’Neal’s dominance led to four championships, three Finals MVPs, one MVP, 15 All-Star selections, and 14 All-NBA Team selections.

All-Scoring Third Team

Guard – Oscar Robertson

Career Points Per Game: 25.7 PPG

Oscar Robertson is known and celebrated for his all-around play becoming the first player to ever average a triple-double in a season in 1962 and holding onto the all-time triple-double record for 48 years from 1974 through 2022 when it was broken by Russell Westbrook. Oscar’s best attribute during this time was the way he could score the ball in several ways whether it be from jumpers, getting to the rim, or on offensive rebounds.

In his career, Robertson would record six different seasons of averaging at least 30.0 points per game which peaked at 31.4 points per game during his 1964 MVP campaign. His one scoring title would come in 1968 averaging 29.2 points per game with the Cincinnati Royals. For his career, Robertson was extremely efficient as well, shooting 48.5% from the field overall and 83.8% from the free throw line.

Despite being an elite passer, playmaker, and rebounder for his position, Oscar Robertson should also be celebrated for being one of the greatest scoring point guards to ever grace the NBA.

Guard – Jerry West

Career Points Per Game: 27.0 PPG

The man known as the NBA logo, Jerry West, is also going to be recognized for his innate scoring ability today. West is one of the best jump shooters in NBA history whether it be from the mid-range or another distance. The only crime committed against West is the fact that the three-point line would be adopted after his retirement, making his scoring that much more impressive for the Lakers from 1961 through 1974.

West had four seasons in which he averaged 30.0 points per game or better with the Lakers including his lone scoring title in 1970 with 31.2 points per game. West also had 11 seasons in which he averaged at least 25.0 points per game in his career and shot the ball 47.4% from the field overall. In the NBA playoffs, although he won just one NBA championship, West was a killer as well, averaging 29.1 points per game in 13 appearances on 46.9% shooting.

Most will criticize West for his lack of championship hardware but as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, West will always be remembered for being far ahead of his time.

Guard – George Gervin

Career Points Per Game: 25.1 PPG

The All-Scoring Third Team continues with an ABA/NBA legend who helped innovate the game with his signature finger roll and athletic abilities. George Gervin aka “Iceman” played 14 seasons in both the ABA and NBA, most notably for the San Antonio Spurs. In the ABA, he averaged 21.9 points per game with no scoring titles to his name but would absolutely torch the competition after the merger.

In the NBA, Gervin would go on to average 26.2 points per game on 48.0% shooting from the field. He would capture four scoring titles in his career with two seasons exceeding 30.0 points per game and seven seasons of over 25.0 points per game. Gervin’s speed and overall athleticism gave him a distinct advantage over the competition without much need for a three-point shot in either league. With his four scoring titles, Gervin is tied with Allen Iverson for second place among NBA shooting guards, and his 20,708 career points in the NBA rank 40th.

Forward – Bob Pettit

Career Points Per Game: 26.4 PPG

Bob Pettit has many claims to fame in his NBA career including being the only big man to top Bill Russell in any NBA Finals series in 1958. One thing he does not get the proper amount of credit for is his incredible ability to score the ball in a variety of ways. Despite being a traditional power forward, Pettit’s greatest weapon was a falling away one-legged jumper that was automatic for the most part.

Pettit played just 11 seasons in the NBA but during that time, became one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. He won two scoring titles in 1956 and 1959 which also happen to be the seasons of both his MVP wins. Pettit averaged over 30.0 points per game once in 1962 with 31.1 points per game as well as seven seasons with at least 25.0 points per game. He shot 43.6% from the floor for his career and 76.1% from the foul line.

Center – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Career Points Per Game: 24.6 PPG

Taking up the 15th and final spot on our All-Scoring Teams is none other than the former all-time scoring leader in NBA history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In 20 seasons with the Bucks and Lakers, Kareem was able to lead his team to six NBA championships with two Finals MVP awards, an NBA-record six MVP awards, 19 All-Star selections, and 15 All-NBA Team Selections.

During his early days with the Milwaukee Bucks from 1970 through 1975, Kareem was his most dominant as a scorer. He won back-to-back scoring titles in 1971 and 1972 with 31.7 and 34.8 points per game respectively. He averaged 30.4 points per game in those six seasons while shooting 54.7% from the field. Kareem went on to lead the Bucks to an NBA title in 1971.

Kareem then went on to aid the Showtime Lakers in their dominance of the 1980s with five NBA championships. In 14 seasons with the Lakers, Kareem would average 22.1 points per game on 56.7% shooting from the field. Armed with his signature skyhook, Kareem would break Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring record in 1984 and would hold onto that record for 29 years until it was broken by LeBron James in 2023.