Who Has the Most 40 Point Games in the NBA?

Michael Jordan holds the record for the most 40 point games in the NBA with 31.

Michael Jordan- 10

Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. During his career with the Chicago Bulls, he won 6 NBA Championships and was named MVP of the NBA Finals 5 times. He was also a 14-time All-Star and 10-time scoring champion.

Jordan’s individual accomplishments are equally impressive. He was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 1984, and went on to win the league’s MVP award 5 times. He also holds the NBA record for most points in a playoff game (63) and most seasons leading the league in scoring (10).

In addition to all of those accolades, Jordan is also the NBA’s all-time leader in 40 point games, with 10. He is followed by Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant, who both have 9.

Wilt Chamberlain- 9

Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the most 40 point games in an NBA career- 9. He is followed by Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, who both have 7. LeBron James has the most of any active player, with 5.

Kobe Bryant- 8

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 (NBA). He is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons.
Bryant is the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, and he enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He declared for the NBA draft upon graduation, and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 13th overall pick in 1996.
The Hornets traded him to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and he was named an All-Star by his second season.

Karl Malone- 7

Karl Malone, better known as “The Mailman,” played in the NBA for 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. He’s widely considered one of the best power forwards of all time and is a two-time NBA MVP (1997 and 1999). Malone was also a 14-time NBA All-Star and a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection. He retired in 2004 with 36,928 career points, which was second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the time.

Malone holds the distinction of having the most 40 point games in NBA history with 7. He accomplished this feat twice against the Denver Nuggets and once each against the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Clippers, and Atlanta Hawks. Interestingly, all of these games came during the 1985-86 season when Malone averaged 31.0 points per game for the Jazz.

LeBron James- 6

LeBron James has the most 40 point games in the NBA with 6. He is closely followed by Kobe Bryant with 5 and Michael Jordan with 4.

Elgin Baylor- 6

Elgin Baylor, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1958 to 1971, is the player with the most 40 point games in NBA history. He had 6 seasons in which he averaged 40 points or more per game.

Rick Barry- 5

Rick Barry (born December 28, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the only player to lead the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in scoring for a single season. In 1967, Barry helped lead the University of Miami to an NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship. That same year he was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors with the second pick of the first round. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1968. The following season, he averaged 34.0 points per game and became one of only three players that season to average more than 30 points and 6 assists per game. He was then selected to play for the Eastern Conference in the 1969 NBA All-Star Game.

Shaquille O’Neal- 5

With 5 games of 40 or more points, Shaquille O’Neal is tied with Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan for the most such games in NBA history. O’Neal had his first 40 point game on November 15, 1992, when he scored 41 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. He would go on to have at least one 40 point game in every season thereafter until his retirement in 2011.

David Robinson- 5

David Robinson had 5 40 point games in his career. He is currently ranked #4 for most 40 point games in the NBA.

George Gervin- 5

George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs has the most 40 point games in the NBA with 5.