The Highest Per-Game scoring Averages in NBA History

A list of the thirty-one highest per-game scoring averages in NBA history These are the players who averaged the most points per game over the course of an entire season.

Wilt Chamberlain – 61 points per game in 1961-62

Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for highest per-game scoring average in an NBA season with 61 points per game in 1961-62. The next highest is Michael Jordan with 37.1 Points per game in 1986-87.

Michael Jordan – 37.1 points per game in 1986-87

Michael Jordan – 37.1 points per game in 1986-87: Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 and quickly established himself as one of the greatest players of all time. In his third season, Jordan averaged a league-leading 37.1 points per game, a mark that would stand as the highest single-season scoring average in NBA history for more than 20 years. Jordan would go on to win five MVP Awards and six championships with the Chicago Bulls

LeBron James – 36.1 points per game in 2005-06

Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Lebron James (23) reacts after scoring against the Charlotte Bobcats during the second half at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Cavaliers won 103-90. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA Today Sports
In 2005-06, his second season in the league, Lebron James averaged 36.1 points per game, the highest single-season scoring average in NBA history That year, he also became the youngest player ever to be named MVP of the league.

James’s career scoring average is 27.1 points per game, which ranks him seventh all-time. He has won four MVP Awards and three championships, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history

Kobe Bryant – 35.4 points per game in 2005-06

In 2005-06, Kobe Bryant became the first – and so far, only – player in NBA history to average more than 35 points per game for an entire season. That year, he appeared in all 82 games for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging a league-leading 35.4 points to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

Rick Barry – 34.7 points per game in 1966-67

Rick Barry was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history In the 1966-67 season, he averaged 34.7 points per game – the third highest scoring average in a single season in NBA history That year, he led the Warriors to the NBA Finals where they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

Elgin Baylor – 34.6 points per game in 1961-62

Elgin Baylor, who averaged 34.8 points per game during the 1960-61 season, is the only player in NBA history to average more than 34 points per game over the course of an entire season. Baylor’s 34.6 points per game in 1961-62 is the second highest single-season average in NBA History behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 35.4 points per game in 1961-62.

Jerry West – 31.2 points per game in 1969-70

In 1969-70, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers Jerry West had the highest per-game scoring average in NBA history He averaged 31.2 points over the course of the season, en route to earning his first and only MVP Award Interestingly, West’s record-setting campaign came in a year when he missed eight games due to injury. In the 62 games he did play, he averaged an astounding 37.3 points per game. It’s safe to say that if West had played all 82 games that season, his scoring average would have been even higher.

West is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in NBA history but his career scoring average of 27.0 points per game is actually lower than that of several other players. Indeed, there are nine players in NBA history who have averaged at least 30 points per game over the course of a full season. Here is a list of those players and their respective scoring averages:

Player (Team, Season) – Scoring Average

Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors 1961-62) – 50.4
Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls 1986-87) – 37.1
Elgin Baylor (Los Angeles Lakers 1961-62) – 34.8
Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers 2005-06) – 35.4
Rick Barry (San Francisco Warriors 1966-67) – 34.0
Lebron James (Cleveland Cavaliers 2005-06) – 31.4
Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat 2008-09) – 30.2 Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers 2006-07) – 31.6

Michael Jordan – 30.4 points per game in 1987-88

Michael Jordan – 30.4 points per game in 1987-88: In his second season, MJ put the league on notice, averaging a then-career-high 30.4 points to go along with 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. He shot a scorching 52% from the field and 85% from the Foul Line en route to his first Scoring Title The Bulls finished with a 50-32 record and were swept by the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Allen Iverson – 29.7 points per game in 2001-02

In his sixth season in the NBA, Allen Iverson averaged a league-leading 29.7 points per game while playing for the Philadelphia
76ers. He would go on to lead the league in scoring three more times over the course of his career. Iverson is one of only four
players in NBA history to average at least 29 points per game in a single season, joining Wilt Chamberlain Michael Jordan and
Kobe Bryant

George Gervin – 29.6 points per game in 1977-78

George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs became the most prolific scorer in a single season in NBA history averaging 29.6 points per game over 78 games in 1977-78. The previous record had been held by Bob McAdoo of the Buffalo Braves, who averaged 28.7 points per game over 74 games in 1974-75. Gervin’s scoring average is also the highest ever for a guard.