Who has won the most scoring titles in NBA history?
Who has won the most scoring titles in NBA history? Many basketball gurus say that defense is what wins championships but there is no team that has ever won anything without a great scorer.
Either if that is the player who takes the last shot, or just his presence makes open up a lot of space for the other players on the team, you need to have a scoring threat in your lineup if you want to have a shot at the ring.
At the end of the day, everyone who has gone to a basketball court, went there to score a basket, not to box out.
Throughout the course of NBA history, there have been a handful of players that have completely dominated the league in scoring over their entire career. Most of the players claim that they play to win the championship with their team, some are eying the MVP award but to be the best scorer of the season is another achievement that a lot of players dream of.
In this article, you will find out who are the players who have won the most scoring titles in NBA history.
1. Michael Jordan – 10 scoring titles (1987-1998)
Who has won the most scoring titles in NBA history? One of the most reliable arguments why Michael Jordan is the best player ever if you ever need one are his 10 scoring titles throughout his 15-year NBA career. The only time MJ wasn’t the NBA leading scorer was his first two seasons with the Chicago Bulls.
In his rookie season, 1984-85, Jordan was the third-best scorer in the league with 28.7 points per game with Bernard King being on top with 32.9 and Larry Bird right after him with 28.7 points per game.
In his second season, Jordan wasn’t even ranked among the best scorers since he missed 64 games due to a foot injury. Anyway, he averaged 22.7 points per game in the 18 games he played that season, which is his lowest in the Bulls jersey.
In 1986-87, Jordan’s third season, his scoring dominance began as he won his first of seven consecutive scoring titles. That year MJ averaged 37.1 points per game which is the highest in his career. He played all 82 games that season and spent 40 minutes per game on the court.
In the next six seasons, Jordan missed only 7 regular-season games and won the scoring title in each season with point averages in the span of 30.1 to 35.0 points per game.
His amazing run was ended as he decided to retire from basketball after winning three consecutive NBA championships in 1993.
After a year and a half away from basketball, MJ returned in 1995 playing only 17 games which didn’t rank him as he averaged 26.9 points per game.
In the next regular season, Jordan picked up where he left and won the scoring title in the following three seasons which all ended with the Bulls lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy. The 1998 NBA championship meant another retirement for MJ but after a three-year break, he came back in 2001 in Washington as a 38-year-old.
In those two seasons, Jordan averaged 22.9 and 20.0 points per game.
2. Wilt Chamberlain – 7 scoring titles (1960-1966)
Wilt Chamberlain has won only two NBA championships but when it comes to individual awards, he is a breast.
Chamberlain spent 14 years in the NBA from 1959 to 1973 and was a dominant force in that period as he won seven consecutive scoring titles from 1960 to 1966. His point averages in that span were from 33.5 points per game in the 1965-66 season to a career-high 50.4 in 1961-62 a record that would probably never be reached.
Another accomplishment that still seems unreal is his 100-point game in March 1962.
If you think that Wilt’s seven scoring titles are impressive, he was the best rebounder in the league for 11 years. His number 13 is retired by the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers.
3. George Gervin – 4 scoring titles (1978-1980, 1982)
‘The Iceman’ spent 12 years in the NBA, 11 of which with the San Antonio Spurs and the last one with the Chicago Bulls.
He won 4 scoring titles in a span of 5 seasons with the Spurs. His run started in 1978 when he averaged 27.2 points per game, followed by 29.6 and a career-high 33.1 in the next two seasons.
In the 1980-81 season, Gervin was third on the list behind Adrian Dantley and Moses Malone with 27.2 points per game, before he won his last title in 1982 with an average of 32.3 points per game.
4. Allen Iverson – 4 scoring titles (1999, 2001, 2002, 2005)
One of the most exciting players in the history of the league, Allen Iverson won 4 scoring titles between 1999 and 2005. ‘The Answer’ spent his first 10 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers that drafted him as the top pick at the 1996 NBA draft. Then he split three seasons between the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies before he came back to Philly where he played his last NBA game in 2010.
Standing at only 6-feet tall, Iverson was unstoppable in an era when the game was much more physical.
His career-high was in the 2001-02 season when he averaged 31.4 points per game. He took the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals and won the 2004 MVP award.
5. Kevin Durant – 4 scoring titles (2010-2012, 2014)
A shooting guard trapped in a 7-footer, Kevin Durant is the best NBA scorer in the 2010s. He won three back-to-back scoring titles between 2010 and 2012 and repeat in 2014 with his career-high 32 points per game.
He spent the first 9 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder (who were the Seattle Supersonics in 2007-08) and then moved to the Golden State Warriors to win two NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards. In 2019 he signed with the Brooklyn Nets.
He is a 2014 MVP Award winner and 11-time NBA All-Star.
6. George Mikan – 3 scoring titles (1949-1951)
George Mikan was the first dominant center in NBA history who won the scoring title in his first three seasons in the league. He averaged 28.3, 27.4, and 28.4 points per game for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1949 to 1951.
Nicknamed Mr. Basketball, Mikan was five-time BAA/NBA champion and two-time NBL champion. His number 99 is honored by the Los Angeles Lakers.
7. Neil Johnston – 3 scoring titles (1953-1955)
Known for his hook shot, Johnston spent eight years in the NBA with the Philadelphia Warriors from 1951 to 1959. Johnston finds himself 7th on our list of players on who has won the most scoring titles in NBA history?
He won three consecutive scoring titles from 1953 to 1955 averaging 22.3, 24.4, and 22.7 points per game. He was also the best rebounder in the 1954-55 season and won the NBA championship in 1956.
8. Bob McAdoo – 3 scoring titles (1974-1976)
Bob McAdoo spent 14 years in the NBA with the Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Philadelphia 76ers before he went to Italy to play for another six years.
He was a dominant force in the middle of the 70s winning three consecutive scoring titles with averages of 30.6, 34.5, and 31.1 points per game.
9. James Harden – 3 scoring titles (2018-2020)
James Harden is one of the best scorers in today’s NBA who has already won three scoring titles while he was with the Houston Rockets from 2018 to 2020 averaging 30.4, 36.1, and 34.3 points per game.
Many are doubting his overall game since he is often uninterested in playing defense but no one can deny that Harden is a deadly scorer. He has yet to win a championship, therefore he joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.
10. Paul Arizin – 2 scoring titles (1952, 1957)
Arizin spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Warriors from 1950 to 1962 winning the scoring titles in 1952 (25.4 ppg) and 1957 (25.5 ppg).
He retired with the third-highest career point total (16,266) in NBA history in 1962. Just like Neil Johnston, Arizin was a member of the 1956 Philadelphia Warriors team that won the NBA championship.
11. Bob Pettit – 2 scoring titles (1956, 1959)
Pettit played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks from 1954 to 1965. In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award and he won the award again in 1959.
He won two scoring titles in 1956 and 1959 averaging 25.7 and 29.2 points per game. His number 9 is retired by the Atlanta Hawks.
12. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 2 scoring titles (1971, 1972)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers becoming one of the greatest players of all time. During his career, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member.
He is most known as the player who has scored the most points in NBA history – 38.387. At the beginning of his career, he won two consecutive scoring titles with averages of 31.7 and 34.8 points per game.
13. Adrian Dantley – 2 scoring titles (1981, 1984)
Adrian Dantley spent 15 seasons in the NBA between the Buffalo Braves, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, and Milwaukee Bucks.
He won the 1977 NBA Rookie of the Year award and had six All-Star selections.
He was the league’s top scorer in 1981 and 1984 averaging 30.7 and 30.6 points per game.
14. Shaquille O’Neal – 2 scoring titles (1995, 2000)
One of the most dominant forces in NBA history Shaquille O’Neal was unstoppable during his time with the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.
He led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships winning three Finals MVP from 2000 to 2002 and won another one with the Miami Heat in 2006.
He won the scoring titles in 1995 and 2000 with averages of 29.3 and 29.7 points per game.
Shaq spent a total of 19 years in the NBA playing also for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. He won the MVP award in 2000.
15. Tracy McGrady – 2 scoring titles (2003, 2004)
McGrady is a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, and winner of the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2001. He spent 16 years in the league for the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and San Antonio Spurs.
He won back-to-back scoring titles in 2003 and 2004 averaging 32.1 and 28 points per game.
16. Kobe Bryant – 2 scoring titles (2006, 2007)
One of the best scorers in NBA history who could make any shot that you can imagine, spent 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers where he won five NBA championships.
Known as the best player of his generation, Bryant won back-to-back scoring titles in 2006 and 2007 averaging 35.4 and 31.6 points per game.
Kobe won the 2008 NBA award, 2009 and 2010 Finals MVP award, and was 18-time NBA All-Star winning four All-Star game MVPs.
17. Russell Westbrook – 2 scoring titles (2015, 2017)
Russell Westbrook is the kind of player that can do everything on the court and that includes scoring. He won the scoring title in 2015 and 2017 with 28.1 and 31.6 points per game.
He became the first player after Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for a season and he did that four times in five years with three different teams.
Westbrook has also finished three seasons as NBA’s assist leader.
18. Steph Curry – 2 scoring titles (2016, 2021)
The player who literally changed the game is on pace to win his third scoring title this year after he did that in 2016 (30.1 ppg) and 2021 (32 ppg).
Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to three NBA titles and has won the MVP award in 2015 and 2016.
He is less than 100 three-pointers away from becoming the player with most three-pointers made in NBA history.
Who has won the most scoring titles in NBA history?
Every single player on this list is a Hall of Famer. Basketball experts recognize the importance of scoring titles.
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