NBA Year-By-Year Scoring Leaders: 65 Years Of Points Per Game, Part 1
Since 1946-47, when "Jumpin" Joe Fulks led the league in scoring, the NBA has always inevitably had a guy who scored so well each season that his name is etched in history as an NBA scoring leader.
To this day, I do not believe people understand how tough it to lead the NBA in scoring just once. You have to produce almost every night at an extraordinary level to lead the NBA in scoring.
Jordan did it 10 times and finished with the highest scoring average ever.
Wilt did it seven times and has the second-highest scoring average ever.
These two stand out as the greatest scorers ever. Thy finished their CAREERS at over 30 ppg, which is really amazing!
1946-47 Joe Fulks
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He played in 60 games and scored like no other player in the young league. No one had seen a guy who was so active and could jump so high.
He averaged 23.2 points per game
1947-48 Max Zaslofsky
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In 48 games, Max Zaslofsky averaged 21.0 ppg to lead the NBA in scoring. He was on the Chicago Stags.
1948-49 George Mikan
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The 6'10" legend was the big star of the early NBA. He scored 28.3 points per game this season.
1949-50 George Mikan (2)
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Mikan took his second straight scoring title with 27.4 ppg in 68 games.
1950-51 George Mikan (3)
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For the third straight season, No. 99, the big man, led the league in scoring with 28.4 points per game.
1951-52 Paul Arizin
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Arizin put in 25.4 points a night to lead the league.
1952-53 Neil Johnston
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Philly's Neil Johnston led the league with 22.3 a night.
1953-54 Neil Johnston (2)
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Johnston suavely and energetically repeated as scoring champ with 24.5 ppg.
1954-55 Neil Johnston (3)
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The three-peat scoring champ: Neil Johnston with 22.7 ppg.
1955-56 Bob Pettit
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Pettit was a great player who scored 25.7 ppg to lead the league.
1956-57 Paul Arizin (2)
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Five years after last leading the league in scoring, Arizin did it again showing his scoring brilliance with a stellar (for those days) 25.6 points per game.
1957-58 George Yardley
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Yardley had an odd mix of abilities that led to him being a tough cover. He led the league in scoring with 27.8 pts in 72 games.
1958-59 Bob Pettit (2)
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Pettit was still a great scorer with a superb 29.2 points per game.
1959-60 Wilt Chamberlain
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A new era in NBA competitiveness was spurred on by the amazing 7'2" Wilt Chamberlain.
He exploited everyone's weaknesses and could not be stopped. Here, in his rookie season, in the eight-team NBA, Wilt scored an astonishing 37.6 ppg.
1960-61 Wilt Chamberlain (2)
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Wilt put in 38.4 ppg in his second season. The league had yet to find an answer for the "Stilt."
1961-62 Wilt Chamberlain (3)
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Wilt put on the most dominant scoring display in this season by averaging 50.4 pts in 48.5 minutes a night.
The league could not compare to such a talent at the time. Simply amazing. He sucked at free throws, though (50 percent career).
1962-63 Wilt Chamberlain (4)
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Head and shoulders the best scorer in the NBA in 1963 with an outlandish 44.8 ppg.
1963-64 Wilt Chamberlain (5)
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For the fifth straight season, Wilt led the league in scoring with 36.9 ppg.
1964-65 Wilt Chamberlain (6)
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Wilt scored 34.7 ppg but still had not won a title. How long could he lead the league in scoring but not get a title?
1965-66 Wilt Chamberlain (7)
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For a stunning seventh straight season, Wilt led the NBA in scoring with 33.5 ppg. He had still never won a title, though.
The season after this he learned his lesson and stopped trying to dominate. He became a team player, did not lead the league in scoring and consequently won his first title.
1966-67 Rick Barry
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He scored an amazing 35.6 ppg this season, which was even more than Wilt scored the year before.
1967-68 Dave Bing
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At 27.1 ppg, Bing led the league in scoring. Guess people were playing more team offense in 1968.
1968-69 Elvin Hayes
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The San Diego Rockets had the league's top scorer this year. The big man averaged 28.4 ppg.
1969-70 Jerry West
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West put in 31.2 ppg in 74 games on the season, enough to lead the league in scoring.
1970-71 Lew Alcindor
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Alcindor (Jabbar) became the first ever NBA player to lead his team to a title while being the league's leading scorer (31.7 ppg in 82 games). It has never been done again except, of course, by Jordan, who did it all six times he won the title!
1971-72 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2)
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He stepped up the scoring and changed his name but they didn't repeat as champs. He scored 34.8 pts per outing.
1972-73 Nate Archibald
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"Tiny" was generously listed at 6'0" and he only weighed 155 pounds!
But he led the league in scoring AND assists this season. No one has ever done that before or again. The true originator of the UTEP two-step is Archibald, not Tim Hardaway.
1973-74 Bob McAdoo
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Big Mac lit up the league with 30.6 ppg, a rare scoring average for a PF.
1974-75 Bob McAdoo (2)
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McAdoo repeated as scoring champ with an outstanding 34.5 ppg.
1975-76 Bob McAdoo (3)
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This guy was the scoring champ when I was born. He averaged a stellar 31.1 ppg for a scoring leader three-peat.
1976-77 Pete Maravich
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Surprisingly, "Pistol" Pete won his only scoring title in this season with 31.1 ppg.
1977-78 George Gervin
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The "Iceman" smoothly took the scoring title in an efficient manner with 27.2 ppg.
1978-79 George Gervin (2)
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Gervin showed he was no scoring fluke by leading the NBA in scoring again with 29.6 ppg.
1979-80 George Gervin
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In Magic and Bird's rookie year, Gervin was still No. 1 and was as cold as ice in the scoring column with an outlandish 33.1 ppg.
1980-81 Adrian Dantley
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He stole the scoring title streak from Gervin for a year with a nice 30.7 ppg.
1981-82 George Gervin (4)
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His efficiency led him to having the second-highest scoring-per-minute clip for an entire career (after MJ). This season, he showed why, with 32.3 ppg.
1982-83 Alex English
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He scored more total points than any player in the entire 1980s, but few people really know him. This is the only time he actually led the NBA in scoring for an entire season, though, with 28.4 a night.
1983-84 Adrian Dantley (2)
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AD did it again with 30.6 ppg for the Jazz.
1984-85 Bernard King
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King scored at outstanding 32.9 ppg in 55 games to lead the league.
1985-86 Dominique Wilkins
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"The Human Highlight Film" enjoyed his single scoring title while MJ was injured for 64 games. He scored 30.3 ppg.
1986-87 Michael Jordan
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The greatest scorer and player ever began his embarrassment of the league with an astonishing and astronomical 37.1 ppg. He scored over 3,000 points, which has never been done since.
1987-88 Michael Jordan (2)
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Jordan was named Defensive Player of the Year AND led the NBA in scoring with 35.0 ppg. How is that possible? He's the GOAT, that's how.
1988-89 Michael Jordan (3)
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Jordan averaged eight rebounds, eight assists and 32.5 ppg to lead the league again! Wow, almost a triple-double.
1989-90 Michael Jordan (4)
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MJ was absolutely unstoppable in every way with 33.6 ppg, but could he win a title while leading the league in scoring?
1990-91 Michael Jordan (5)
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Of course Jordan could lead the NBA in scoring and lead his team to a title. He did it all six times he won a title. Only Jabbar had ever done that, and he did it only once. Wow, MJ equals GOAT, easily, with 31.5 ppg.
1991-92 Michael Jordan (6)
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Was Jordan's ring along with a scoring title a fluke?
No way. He scored 35 before halftime in Game 1 of the Finals, including the most famous six three-pointers ever. He averaged 30.1 ppg on the season.
1992-93 Michael Jordan (7)
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With an amazing and exciting 32.6 ppg, MJ, in only nine seasons, was the greatest player ever. He led the NBA in scoring in seven of his first nine seasons.
1993-94 David Robinson
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With Jordan retired, Robinson actually had a chance to lead the league in scoring with 29.8 ppg.
1994-95 Shaquille O'Neal
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While with Orlando, Shaq led the league in scoring. He averaged 29.3 a game.
