NBA Rankings: Greatest Players of All Time and Their Best Individual Season
Tim Duncan will not be found in this story, but he should be.
He is one of the greatest players ever and had an awesome season in 2003, which took him all the way to his second title.
This story follows my story on 13 of the greatest and their worst season. So here goes their best statistical season.
Most of the guys had their worst season as an old man (Moses Malone) or as a kid (Kobe) or while injured (Bird). I highlight some awesome statistical seasons by the best ever, whether they won a title or not that season.
George Gervin: 1979-80 Spurs
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The Iceman had his greatest NBA (he also played in the ABA) season in 1979-80.
He averaged 33.1 points per game, thereby capturing one of his four scoring titles.
He shot 52.8 percent from the field that year. I have seen entire games he played, and he shot with an accuracy unseen today.
No, really, he did.
In addition, he played some nice defense, which most people do not give him credit for. He averaged 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game and added 5.2 rebs and 2.6 assists per.
He also shot 85.1 percent from the line and 31.4 percent from behind the newly-used three-point line.
The Spurs didn't do much with it for the season, but it was still a masterful season by Gervin.
John Havlicek: 1970-71 Celtics
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Although Hondo did take the Russell-less Celtics to two more titles, it took him five and seven years later to do so.
In 1971, the Celtics were still building around Havlicek, who already had six rings on his fingers.
They didn't win the title till 1974 and 1976 without Russell, but it was with Havlicek. In 1971, they did OK, but he was sick with it.
Suffice it to say, he was the man in 1971. Havlicek scored 28.9 ppg that year, grabbed nine boards per game and added 7.5 assists per, for an almost triple-double.
He only shot 45 percent from the field on the season, but so did Kobe the year he scored 81. He did make 81.8 percent of his free throws.
Long live Hondo; eight-time NBA champion.
Kobe Bryant: 2005-06 Lakers
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Kobe scored 81 in a game this season, but the Lakers kinda sucked.
Well, they did make the playoffs, but lost in the first round. It wasn't Kobe's fault, as he scored like a madman with 35.4 points per game.
On the season Kobe took over 2,000 shots and made 45 percent of them. He hit 85 percent from the line and 34.7 percent from three-point range.
In addition, Kobe added 5.3 rebs per game, 4.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.4 blocks.
People will always remember how he scored this season, especially against the mighty Toronto Raptors....Oh wait, they had the worst record in the league that year. He did score 62 in three quarters against the Mavs, which is a greater accomplishment.
Still awesome, though, from the Kobester in his best statistical season.
Moses Malone: 1981-82 Rockets
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Moses was the main man in 1983 when the 76ers won the title.
But the year before, he had his greatest individual season.
He was with Houston the year before ('81-82), and he had a doozy of a season.
Moses scored 31.1 points per game on 51.9-percent shooting and 76.2 percent from the line. Additionally, he grabbed 14.7 rebs per game!
Moses also played defense, and added 1.5 blocks per game and 0.9 steals per to go with 1.8 assists.
Oh yeah, earned his second of three regular season MVP's in 1982. Sweet.
Houston made it to the Finals in 1981 and lost to the Celtics, but in 1982 they missed it.
Magic Johnson: 1988-89 Lakers
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The Magic man had his finest statitsical season in 1989 and was aptly named NBA MVP for it, but the Pistons won the title.
He averaged a career high 23.9 ppg that season, along with an astonishing 12.2 assists per game. Not to mention 6.3 rebounds per game to go with 1.5 steals and 0.3 blocks.
His shot was totally on, as he hit for 52.2 percent from the field and a sweet 84.8 percent from the line.
Ah, those were they days, ay Magic?
Shaquille O'Neal: 1999-2000 Lakers
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How much does it say about how underrated Shaq is that he and Russell are the only players on this list to win a title in their best statistical season.
I know Shaq was un-freakin-stoppable in 2000.
The Lakers went on to a historic title win thanks to Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal. He was also the regular season MVP.
He also led the league in scoring with 29.7 ppg. He added 13.6 rebs per game and 3.8 assists per game to go with 0.5 steals and three blocks per game.
He shot an outlandish 57.4 percent from the field and an equally-outlandish 52.4 percent from the line.
Shaq used to be so scary. He still is to me, but then again I'm the size (5'9") of Nate Robinson.
Oscar Robertson: 1961-62 Cincinnati Royals
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This may be the greatest season by any player ever, maybe aside from Wilt, who averaged 50 points per game one year.
This is the season that the Big O averaged a triple-double for an entire season.
There's no words to describe what he did that year. So, here are the numbers.
He played for Cincinnati that year and played in 79 games. He averaged 44.3 minutes played per night, and he put every minute to use.
He scored 30.8 ppg that year, along with 12.5 rebs per game AND 11.4 assists per game. Eat your heart out, LeBron James.
He shot 47.8 percent from the field and 80.3 percent from the line.
Wowsers, what a sick season. No team title, though.
Hakeem Olajuwon: 1992-93 Rockets
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The Dream was a year away from the title, but he was at his peak in 1993 at age 30.
Hakeem played in all 82 games that season and averaged 26.1 points per game. He added 13 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals and an amazing 4.2 blocks per game in '92-93.
He did it ultra-efficiently, too, by making 52.9 percent of his shots from the field and 77.9 percent of his free throws.
What a dream season it was—statistically speaking.
Bill Russell 1961-62 Celtics
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Russell is only one of two people on this list who actually won a title in their best statistical season.
In 1961-62, the Celtics won it all, and Russell averaged a career-high 18.9 points per game.
More awesome than his best scoring season was the fact that he grabbed 23.6 rebs per game and averaged 45.2 minutes played per night. He shot 45.7 percent from the field and 59.5 percent from the line, but added 4.5 assist per game to help others score.
I wish they woulda kept blocked shots stats back then. I'd say he probably averaged around six per game.
Another sick season by Big Bill, which led to one of his 11 titles!
Larry Bird: 1984-85 Celtics
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In 1985, the Celtics lost to the Lakers in the Finals after Bird was named regular season MVP by averaging 28.7 ppg, 10.5 rebs, 6.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks on 52.2-percent fg shooting, 88.2-percent free-throw shooting and an awesome 42.7-percent 3-pt shooting.
Bird earned that MVP, didn't he?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 1971-72 Bucks
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Kareem had the Big O on his team and he still was the man; that's how bad ass he was.
Jabbar led the league in scoring with 34.8 points per game and grabbed an amazing 16.6 rebounds per game. He also was a fine passer with 4.6 assists per game that year.
It was two seasons before blocked shots were tallied, but he probably averaged between 4-5 a game.
He shot an astounding 57.4 percent from the field and added 68.9 percent from the line.
What a great individual season that was! The Bucks won the title the year before, but failed to do so in 1972.
Wilt Chamberlain: 1961-62 Philadephia Warriors
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This is the most amazing individual season by any player ever, in my opinion.
No one will ever even come close to what Wilt did by himself in 1961-62.
Most of us were not alive back when this happened. But it is crazy just to see the stats, because that is all we have to go by.
One amazing and overlooked fact about his season was that he averaged 48.5 minutes per game that year!!!
What? How is that possible?
It turns out he played basically every minute of the whole season, including overtime games, and he averaged an all-time high minutes per game. Wow!
In that time, he scored 50.4 PPG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He shot 50.6 percent from the field that year and a career-high 61.3 percent from the line.
He probably averaged over five blocks per game, too, and he added 2.4 assists per game.
Oh yeah,,,did I mention he averaged 25.7 rebounds per game? He did.
I'm getting a headache just writing about it; it's too much for me to fathom.
Michael Jordan: 1987-88 Bulls
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His best season could have been at least five different seasons.
But I choose 1987-88 over the year he almost averaged a triple-double in 1989 (32.5 pts, 8 reb, 8ast). Or when he scored over 3,000 points and averaged 37.1 in 1987.
Or in 1993, when he led the Bulls to a third title while averaging 32.6 ppg.
In 1988, he was All-Star MVP, dunk champ, NBA MVP, scoring champ and Defensive Player of the Year!!!
Enough said.
His numbers were 35.0 ppg in 40.4 minutes and 5.5 rebs, 5.9 assists on an unbelievable 53.5-percent shooting from the field and 84.1 percent from the line.
But his most amazing stats were defensively, as he averaged 3.2 steals per game. This is mind-numbing, as is an even more shocking 1.6 blocks per game!!!
What the?—he was a SG/PG.
That is the most blocks ever by a guard. He also led the league in steals, earning the title of only guy to ever lead the league in scoring while being its best defender at the same time.
I would have never though it possible until it happened.
