How Many 60 Point Games Have There Been in NBA History?
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How many 60 point games have there been in NBA history? The answer may surprise you.
60 Point Games in NBA History
In NBA history, there have been only 138 60-point games. That’s an average of less than two 60-point games per season. Kobe Bryant has the most 60-point games with eight, and Wilt Chamberlain is second with seven. Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, and David Thompson each have four 60-point games.
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain holds the NBA single-game scoring record, having tallied 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. That game is one of only 17 in NBA history in which a player scored 60 or more points.
Players to score 60 or more points in an NBA game:
-Wilt Chamberlain (7 times)
-Kobe Bryant (6 times)
-Michael Jordan (5 times)
-Elgin Baylor (4 times)
-James Harden (4 times)
-Devin Booker (3 times)
-David Thompson (2 times)
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Bryant is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and became the league’s youngest player to reach 30,000 career points at 34 years and 104 days old. He was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, and ranks fourth on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.
Bryant won five NBA championships, four with Shaquille O’Neal as his team mate and one with Pau Gasol as his team mate. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation and considered by many to be one of the greatest players of all time, Kobe helped spark a global appeal for the sport while he played with an instinctual understanding of it at a level that few have been able to match.
Michael Jordan
In NBA history, there have been just 46 games in which a player has scored 60 or more points. That’s out of more than 52,000 games played over nearly 75 seasons.
Of those 46 games, Michael Jordan has the most with eight. Kobe Bryant is second with six and Wilt Chamberlain is third with five. James Harden currently has the most recent 60-point game, having scored 60 against the Orlando Magic on January 30, 2019.
Here’s the complete list of every player to score 60 or more points in an NBA game:
Michael Jordan (8):
-64 vs. Atlanta Hawks, April 16, 1987
-63 vs. Boston Celtics, April 20, 1986
-61 vs. New York Knicks, March 28, 1995
-60 vs. Orlando Magic, March 28, 1996
-60 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, December 29, 2001
-60 vs. Charlotte Hornets, March 3, 1998
-60 vs. Washington Wizards, December 29, 2001
Kobe Bryant (6):
-81 vs. Toronto Raptors, January 22 2006
-62 vs. Dallas Mavericks , December 20 2005
Wilt Chamberlain (5):
-100* vs. New York Knicks , March 2 1962
-78 vs. Syracuse Nats , November 16 1961
-73 vs.. Philadelphia Warriors , February 27 1960
-71 vs.. Los Angeles Lakers , November 16 1960
-68* Vs.. Detroit Pistons , December 11 1961
Other Notable 60 Point Games
In addition to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game, there have been several other 60 point games in NBA history. Here are some of the most notable ones:
-Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, the second most points ever scored in an NBA game.
-Devin Booker scored 70 points against the Boston Celtics in 2017, becoming the youngest player ever to score 60 or more points in an NBA game.
-Michael Jordan scored 69 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1990, en route to his sixth and final NBA championship.
-LeBron James scored 61 points against the Charlotte Hornets in 2014, setting the record for most points ever scored by a visiting player at Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena.
-Allen Iverson scored 60 points against the Orlando Magic in 2005, his final season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Frequency of 60 Point Games
60 point games in the NBA are a rarity. In fact, there have only been 150 60 point games in the history of the NBA. That means that on average, there is only one 60 point game every season. However, there have been some instances where there have been multiple 60 point games in a single season. Let’s take a look at some of these seasons.
By Decade
1960s: 1
1970s: 4
1980s: 8
1990s: 12
2000s: 4
2010s: 2
By Team
There have been 60 point games by 140 different players on 108 different teams. The Boston Celtics have had the most 60 point games with 19, while the Brooklyn Nets have had the second most with 18. The Los Angeles Lakers are third with 16 60 point games.
The Philadelphia 76ers have had the most players score 60 points in a game with 6, while the Celtics and Lakers are tied for second with 5 each.
60 Point Games by Team
Boston Celtics – 19
Brooklyn Nets – 18
Los Angeles Lakers – 16
Dallas Mavericks – 15
Golden State Warriors – 14
Houston Rockets – 10
New York Knicks – 10
Phoenix Suns – 10
Portland Trail Blazers – 9
By Player
#By Player
There have been 60 point games by 42 different players in NBA history. The list is led by Wilt Chamberlain, who had 32 such games. Chamberlain is followed by Kobe Bryant (8), Michael Jordan (7), and Rick Barry andElgin Baylor (6 each).
#By Team
The Los Angeles Lakers lead the way with 17 60 point games, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers with 9. The Boston Celtics and San Francisco Warriors/Golden State Warriors are tied for third with 8 each.
#By Season
There have been 60 point games in every NBA season except for the lockout-shortened 1999 season. The most 60 point games in a season was 7, which occurred in both 1961-62 and 1962-63.
