Most Points Per Game in a Single Season

Wilt Chamberlain holds the single-season scoring-average record at 50.4 points per game for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1961-62. His 44.8 PPG in 1962-63 ranks second, while Michael Jordan’s 37.1 PPG in 1986-87 is the highest qualifying average by anyone else.

This objective leaderboard covers qualifying regular-season scoring averages through the completed 2025-26 season. Luka Dončić is the newest entry at 33.5 PPG for the Los Angeles Lakers. The supplied graphic also includes one ABA season and one same-season ABA/NBA combined line, so those exceptions are labeled throughout rather than being presented as NBA-only results.

Key Facts

• Record holder: Wilt Chamberlain, 50.4 PPG in 1961-62.
• Second place: Chamberlain, 44.8 PPG in 1962-63.
• Highest non-Wilt average: Michael Jordan, 37.1 PPG in 1986-87.
• Highest 21st-century average: James Harden, 36.1 PPG in 2018-19.
• Newest qualifying entry: Luka Dončić, 33.5 PPG in 2025-26.
• Dataset cutoff: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s exact 32.68 PPG in 2024-25.

Scope, Eligibility and Ranking Method

Points per game during one regular season determines placement. Playoff scoring does not count, and total points are used only as supporting context. The season is written in full, while the graphics use the ending year. For example, “1962” on a graphic means the 1961-62 season.

NBA scoring leaders normally must appear in 70 percent of their team’s games, which is 58 games in an 82-game season. A player below the minimum can qualify only when spreading his existing point total across the required number of games would still leave him first. This is why Joel Embiid’s 34.7 PPG in 39 games during 2023-24 is not included.

The table contains the 28 player-seasons supplied by the graphics. Twenty-six are NBA seasons. Rick Barry’s 1968-69 Oakland Oaks season is an ABA entry, and Charlie Scott’s 1971-72 line combines his ABA and NBA games from the same professional season. A strict NBA-only version would remove those two rows.

Ranks use full-precision averages when available, while the article displays one decimal place to match the graphics. Elgin Baylor and Nate “Tiny” Archibald are an exact tie at 33.99 PPG, so both receive Rank 17 and the next rank is 19.

Why Wilt Chamberlain’s Record Stands Alone

Chamberlain’s 50.36 average leads his own second-place season by 5.53 PPG and leads Jordan’s best non-Wilt season by 13.27 PPG. A scorer could average Jordan’s 37.1 and add another typical starter’s nightly output without reaching Wilt’s record.

Era context explains part of the number. The early 1960s featured faster pace, more possessions and extreme minutes for stars. Context does not erase the accomplishment. Chamberlain still had to convert those possessions into 4,029 points while missing only one game.

His seven appearances account for one quarter of this 28-row dataset. The pattern shows that the record was not one isolated explosion. Chamberlain occupied a scoring range that became inaccessible once his own role changed and the league’s style evolved.

Tier 1: 50.0+ Points Per Game

Tier 1 contains Wilt Chamberlain’s record 50.4 PPG season in 1961-62.

Tier 1 is reserved for a qualifying season of at least 50.0 points per game. Only one season has reached it, and the 5.5-PPG gap to second place is larger than the gap separating many entire tiers.

Wilt Chamberlain – 50.4 PPG, 1961-62

Regular-season scoring average: 50.4 PPG in 80 games for the Philadelphia Warriors.

Chamberlain’s 1961-62 season is the single-season scoring record by a distance that still looks fictional. He scored 4,029 points, played 48.5 minutes per game because of overtime, and produced the only 50-point average in NBA or ABA history.

The 100-point game is the famous snapshot, but the full schedule is the larger achievement. Chamberlain had to sustain the workload for 80 games, and no later player has come within 13 points per game of his record.

Tier 2: 45.0 to 49.9 Points Per Game

No qualifying NBA or ABA season falls between 45.0 and 49.9 points per game.

Tier 2 is intentionally empty. Wilt’s 50.4 record sits above it, while his 44.8 follow-up falls just below it. The empty band is the clearest visual explanation of how isolated the record remains.

Tier 3: 40.0 to 44.9 Points Per Game

Tier 3 contains Wilt Chamberlain’s 44.8 PPG season in 1962-63.

Tier 3 covers qualifying averages from 40.0 through 44.9 PPG. Chamberlain is the only player in the band and the only player in NBA or ABA history with a qualifying 40-PPG season.

Wilt Chamberlain – 44.8 PPG, 1962-63

Regular-season scoring average: 44.8 PPG in 80 games for the San Francisco Warriors.

Chamberlain followed the 50.4 record with 44.8 PPG and 3,586 total points. That average stands alone in the 40-point tier because no player besides Wilt has completed a qualifying 40-PPG season.

The Warriors struggled despite his production, which is useful context for any discussion of scoring and team success. It does not change the statistical placement: this remains the second-highest qualifying scoring average ever.

Tier 4: 36.0 to 39.9 Points Per Game

Tier 4 features five seasons from 36.1 through 38.4 PPG.

Tier 4 contains the remaining seasons above 36.0 PPG. This is where Chamberlain’s early peak meets the best non-Wilt season from Michael Jordan and the highest 21st-century average from James Harden.

Wilt Chamberlain – 38.4 PPG, 1960-61

Regular-season scoring average: 38.4 PPG for the Philadelphia Warriors.

Wilt’s second NBA season produced 3,033 points and what would still be the best scoring average ever by any player other than his own 1959-60, 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons. The number came with extreme pace and minutes, but it also required a scoring burden no other big man has replicated.

Wilt Chamberlain – 37.6 PPG, 1959-60

Regular-season scoring average: 37.6 PPG in 72 games for the Philadelphia Warriors.

Chamberlain entered the league and immediately set a rookie scoring standard that remains untouched. He won Rookie of the Year and MVP while leading the NBA in points and rebounds, establishing that his production was not the result of a slow developmental climb.

Michael Jordan – 37.1 PPG, 1986-87

Regular-season scoring average: 37.1 PPG in 82 games for the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan owns the highest qualifying single-season average by anyone other than Chamberlain. He scored 3,041 points while playing every game, attacking before modern spacing and without relying on high three-point volume.

The Bulls needed Jordan to create against loaded defenses almost every night. That combination of rate, durability and perimeter shot creation is why 37.1 remains the clearest non-Wilt benchmark.

Wilt Chamberlain – 36.9 PPG, 1963-64

Regular-season scoring average: 36.9 PPG for the San Francisco Warriors.

Chamberlain reduced his average from the previous two seasons and still finished above every non-Wilt season except Jordan’s 1986-87 campaign. San Francisco also reached the NBA Finals, giving this entry a stronger team result than several of Wilt’s even larger scoring years.

James Harden – 36.1 PPG, 2018-19

Regular-season scoring average: 36.1 PPG in 78 games for the Houston Rockets.

Harden owns the highest scoring average of the 21st century. Houston’s injuries forced an enormous creation burden onto him, and he responded with a long run of 30-point games built around isolation drives, step-back threes and free-throw pressure.

The style was polarizing, but the output was not a small-sample spike. Harden scored 2,818 points and carried the same primary playmaking responsibilities that normally reduce a scorer’s volume.

Tier 5: 34.5 to 35.9 Points Per Game

Tier 5 contains seven scoring seasons from 34.5 through 35.6 PPG.

Tier 5 holds seven seasons separated by only 1.1 PPG. The group is stronger than Tier 6 because every player cleared 34.5, while no one reached the 36.0 threshold required for Tier 4.

Rick Barry – 35.6 PPG, 1966-67

Regular-season scoring average: 35.6 PPG for the San Francisco Warriors.

Barry led the NBA in scoring during his second season and then carried San Francisco to the NBA Finals. His touch, movement scoring and ability to generate free throws created one of the highest forward scoring peaks in league history.

Kobe Bryant – 35.4 PPG, 2005-06

Regular-season scoring average: 35.4 PPG in 80 games for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant’s 81-point game is the defining performance, but the season was much larger than one night. He scored 2,832 points while operating as the clear first, second and emergency third option for a limited Lakers offense.

His shot diet included post work, pull-ups, difficult late-clock attempts and heavy defensive attention. The average remains the second-highest of the post-merger era behind Jordan’s 37.1.

Michael Jordan – 35.0 PPG, 1987-88

Regular-season scoring average: 35.0 PPG in 82 games for the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan followed 37.1 PPG with another full 82-game scoring title while also winning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. The slight scoring decline came with a more complete two-way season, not a reduced offensive role.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 34.8 PPG, 1971-72

Regular-season scoring average: 34.8 PPG for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Abdul-Jabbar won his second straight MVP while pairing volume with one of basketball’s most repeatable weapons. The skyhook allowed him to score over length without depending on the pace or perimeter spacing that supports many modern scoring seasons.

This entry matters to his all-time profile because it shows a peak scorer, not merely the longevity scorer who later set the career points record.

Elgin Baylor – 34.8 PPG, 1960-61

Regular-season scoring average: 34.8 PPG for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Baylor attacked from the wing before the league had a three-point line or modern spacing. His strength, hang time and ability to improvise around the rim produced the highest qualifying average of his career and one of the earliest great scoring seasons by a forward.

Wilt Chamberlain – 34.7 PPG, 1964-65

Regular-season scoring average: 34.7 PPG across the San Francisco Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers.

Chamberlain was traded during the season and still led the NBA in scoring. The split-team context is essential because this is one continuous NBA season, not two separate averages blended across different leagues.

His 2,534 points in 73 games show that the production survived a major midseason change in teammates and offensive environment.

Bob McAdoo – 34.5 PPG, 1974-75

Regular-season scoring average: 34.5 PPG in 82 games for the Buffalo Braves.

McAdoo won MVP and the scoring title by combining center size with face-up range and speed. He scored 2,831 points, one fewer than Bryant’s 2005-06 total, and did it without the three-point line.

His game forced centers away from the rim long before stretch-big offense became normal.

Tier 6: 33.5 to 34.4 Points Per Game

Tier 6 covers scoring averages from 33.5 through 34.4 PPG.

Tier 6 begins at 33.5 PPG and contains eight corrected entries. The supplied image shows seven because Luka Dončić’s 33.5 PPG in 2025-26 was mistakenly placed in Tier 7. The body and table use the mathematically correct placement.

James Harden – 34.3 PPG, 2019-20

Regular-season scoring average: 34.3 PPG for the Houston Rockets.

Harden’s follow-up confirmed that 2018-19 was not a one-season anomaly. He again led the league through a mix of high-volume threes, drives and free throws, even as Houston changed its roster and eventually committed to a centerless lineup.

Rick Barry – 34.0 PPG, 1968-69

Regular-season scoring average: 34.0 PPG in 35 games for the Oakland Oaks of the ABA.

This is an ABA season, not an NBA season. Barry led the ABA in scoring average before a knee injury ended his regular season, and the Oaks later won the championship.

The 35-game sample is much smaller than most entries, which is why the league label and eligibility scope must remain visible. The graphic includes the season, so the article preserves it without presenting it as an NBA-only record.

Elgin Baylor – 34.0 PPG, 1962-63

Regular-season scoring average: 34.0 PPG for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Baylor narrowly trails Barry at full precision even though both display as 34.0. He also produced 2,719 total points, showing how durability can separate seasons that appear tied after rounding.

Nate “Tiny” Archibald – 34.0 PPG, 1972-73

Regular-season scoring average: 34.0 PPG for the Kansas City-Omaha Kings.

Archibald is tied with Baylor at the displayed and full-precision average. His season remains unique because he led the NBA in both points per game and assists per game, carrying the scoring and creation load from the point guard position.

The table assigns Baylor and Archibald the same rank and skips the next rank, following standard competition ranking for an exact statistical tie.

Luka Dončić – 33.9 PPG, 2023-24

Regular-season scoring average: 33.9 PPG in 70 games for the Dallas Mavericks.

Dončić led the NBA in scoring while also averaging 9.8 assists, an unusual combination of scoring rate and primary playmaking. His post strength, deceleration and step-back shooting allowed him to control possessions rather than depend on straight-line speed.

Dallas reached the NBA Finals, giving this entry a strong team result alongside the rate statistic.

Michael Jordan – 33.6 PPG, 1989-90

Regular-season scoring average: 33.6 PPG in 82 games for the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan’s third appearance on the list came as Chicago moved closer to championship form. He remained the league’s scoring leader while expanding his playmaking and operating in a more structured offense than the one that produced 37.1 PPG.

Wilt Chamberlain – 33.5 PPG, 1965-66

Regular-season scoring average: 33.5 PPG for the Philadelphia 76ers.

This is Chamberlain’s seventh and final entry in the 28-row dataset. He still won the scoring title, but his career was beginning to move toward the more balanced role that later emphasized passing, efficiency and defense.

Luka Dončić – 33.5 PPG, 2025-26

Regular-season scoring average: 33.5 PPG in 64 games for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dončić won his second scoring title and earned First-Team All-NBA honors in his first complete Lakers season. He also averaged 8.3 assists, preserving the same scorer-creator balance that made his Dallas season special.

His exact average of 33.48 trails Chamberlain’s 33.53, although both round to 33.5. The graphic incorrectly places this season in Tier 7; because Tier 6 begins at 33.5, the written article and table use the correct Tier 6 placement.

Tier 7: 32.6 to 33.4 Points Per Game

Tier 7 contains six corrected entries from 32.7 through 33.4 PPG.

Tier 7 captures the final qualifying band in the supplied dataset. It contains six corrected entries after moving Dončić’s 2025-26 season to Tier 6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s exact 32.68 average is the cutoff line.

Charlie Scott – 33.4 PPG, 1971-72

Combined professional-season scoring average: 33.4 PPG across 79 ABA and NBA games.

Scott scored 2,524 points in 73 games for the ABA’s Virginia Squires, a 34.6 average, before joining the Phoenix Suns for six NBA games and scoring 113 more points. The graphic combines both stints into 2,637 points over 79 games, which equals 33.4 PPG.

This is not a standard single-league leaderboard entry. It is a same-season ABA/NBA combined line preserved from the supplied graphic and clearly labeled so readers do not confuse it with Scott’s official ABA scoring average.

George Gervin – 33.1 PPG, 1979-80

Regular-season scoring average: 33.1 PPG for the San Antonio Spurs.

Gervin won his third straight scoring title with a game built on touch, balance and the finger roll rather than brute-force usage. His efficiency and low-dribble scoring made the volume look easier than it was.

Joel Embiid – 33.1 PPG, 2022-23

Regular-season scoring average: 33.1 PPG in 66 games for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Embiid won MVP and his second straight scoring title by combining post power, face-up jumpers and a league-high free-throw total. He became the first center since Shaquille O’Neal to win consecutive scoring titles.

His 34.7 PPG in 2023-24 does not appear because he played only 39 games and did not meet the NBA’s scoring-leader qualification standard.

Allen Iverson – 33.0 PPG, 2005-06

Regular-season scoring average: 33.0 PPG for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Iverson reached his career-high scoring average in the same season Bryant averaged 35.4. At six feet and roughly 165 pounds, he created the rate through constant rim pressure, pull-up shooting and a workload that asked him to initiate nearly everything.

Bernard King – 32.9 PPG, 1984-85

Regular-season scoring average: 32.9 PPG in 55 games for the New York Knicks.

King’s season ended with a devastating knee injury, but his 55-game scoring run still met the historical qualification standard used by the statistical database. He scored from the post, elbows and baseline with a quick release that denied defenses time to send help.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 32.7 PPG, 2024-25

Regular-season scoring average: 32.7 PPG in 76 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Gilgeous-Alexander won the scoring title and MVP while leading Oklahoma City to the league’s best record, then added Finals MVP during the championship run. His pace changes, footwork and midrange control produced volume without forcing the Thunder to abandon a balanced offense.

His exact 32.68 average clears the graphic’s 32.6 Tier 7 cutoff. Michael Jordan’s 32.58 in 1992-93 rounds to 32.6 but falls below that cutoff at full precision, which explains why the dataset stops at 28 rows.

What the Leaderboard Shows

Wilt Chamberlain owns seven of the 28 entries

Chamberlain appears at 50.4, 44.8, 38.4, 37.6, 36.9, 34.7 and 33.5 PPG. No other player appears more than three times in the supplied range, and four of the first six rows belong to Wilt.

The best modern seasons combine scoring with primary playmaking

Harden and Dončić were not finishers waiting for teammates to create shots. They controlled the ball, initiated the offense and generated assists while maintaining averages above 33 PPG. That dual burden is one of the clearest differences between their seasons and several older frontcourt entries.

A qualifying average is different from a partial-season average

Embiid averaged 34.7 PPG in 2023-24, which would visually fit Tier 5, but he played 39 games. The leaderboard follows qualification rules rather than sorting every partial season, preventing short bursts from being treated as equivalent to full qualifying campaigns.

The expanded scope changes two rows, not the record

Adding Barry’s ABA season and Scott’s combined ABA/NBA season changes the middle of the table but does not affect the top 15. Wilt remains first, Jordan remains the highest non-Wilt scorer, and Harden remains the 21st-century leader.

The cutoff uses full precision

Gilgeous-Alexander qualifies at 32.68 PPG. Jordan averaged 32.58 in 1992-93, which rounds to 32.6 but sits below the exact 32.6 threshold. Using full precision prevents a rounded display from silently changing the cutoff.

Complete Single-Season PPG Table

The table follows the corrected numerical order. Team and league are combined in one column so the ABA and cross-league exceptions remain visible without making the table unnecessarily wide.

FAQ

Who averaged the most points per game in one NBA season?

Wilt Chamberlain holds the record with 50.4 PPG for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1961-62. He scored 4,029 points in 80 regular-season games.

Who has the highest single-season average besides Wilt Chamberlain?

Michael Jordan has the highest non-Wilt average at 37.1 PPG for the Chicago Bulls in 1986-87. James Harden’s 36.1 in 2018-19 is the highest average of the 21st century.

Why is Joel Embiid’s 34.7 PPG season not on the list?

Embiid played only 39 games in 2023-24 and did not meet the NBA’s scoring-leader minimum. Prorating his existing point total across the required number of games would not have preserved the league lead, so the exception did not apply.

Why are ABA seasons included on an NBA page?

The supplied graphics include Rick Barry’s 1968-69 ABA season and Charlie Scott’s combined 1971-72 ABA/NBA line. The article preserves those editorial choices but labels them clearly; a strict NBA-only leaderboard would contain 26 rows through the same cutoff.

Where does Luka Dončić’s 2025-26 season rank?

Dončić’s 33.48 PPG ranks 22nd in this expanded 28-row dataset and belongs in Tier 6 after rounding to 33.5. It ranks 21st on the standard NBA-only single-season leaderboard.

Final completed season included: 2025-26. Last reviewed: August 4, 2026.

Conclusion

Wilt Chamberlain’s 50.4 PPG in 1961-62 remains the record, and the empty 45.0-to-49.9 tier shows how little pressure the mark has faced. Jordan’s 37.1 is the highest non-Wilt season, Harden’s 36.1 leads the 21st century, and Dončić’s 33.5 is the newest entry through 2025-26.

The NBA most points per game in a single season leaderboard measures qualifying regular-season scoring rate, not playoff output or partial-season bursts. Once the ABA exceptions and exact cutoff are labeled correctly, it provides a clean view of the greatest sustained scoring peaks in professional basketball history.

More NBA Rankings

Continue with closely related, spreadsheet-verified SOG Sports pages:

• Most Points Scored in NBA History
• Most Points Scored in the NBA Since 2000
• Most Points Scored in NBA Finals History
• Most Assists in a Single NBA Season
• Best NBA Players of All-Time

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