NBA Records That May Never be Broken
Former Philadelphia 76er Wilt Chamberlain after setting an NBA record 100 point game
March 29, 2023
Wilt Chamberlain – Points In A Single Game
On March 2nd, 1962, Philadelphia 76ers’ center Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game, claiming the record for most points in a single game by one player in NBA history. While there was some controversy regarding whether or not he actually did score 100, in the recent technology era, there has been plenty of evidence to determine that he did indeed score 100 points. The closest anyone has ever come to Wilt’s 100 was Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on January 22nd, 2006, when he scored 81 in 42 minutes. Wilt did his 100 in a full 48 minutes. This meant he played the whole game with no breaks. The most recent 70 point game was Damien Lillard on February 26th, 2023, when he scored 71 points in just 39 minutes.
Lebron James – Points In A Career
On February 7th, 2023, Los Angeles Lakers Small forward Lebron James passed Los Angeles Lakers/Milwaukee Bucks center Kareem Abdul- Jabar for the most points in an NBA career. Kareem held the record at 38,387 points for just over 38 years; Lebron, who as of now sits at 38,450 and rapidly growing, was not even born when the record was set.
As of now, there are no current NBA players who look like they could even have a chance to pass up Lebron. A case could be made for Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic, but at this point in his career, it’s just too early to tell.
John Stockton – Assists In A Career
On February 1st, 1995, Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton officially passed Los Angeles Lakers’ point guard Magic Johnson as the all time leader in assists. Later that same season, he eclipsed 10,000 career assists. Stockton would later hit 15,000 and end his career at a whopping 15,806. The two closest current players are Lebron James, and Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul. Both of which being on the tail end of their career it doesn’t look likely either of them will be able to catch Stockton. This could be another instance where a young player down the line could break the record. Someone like Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young who in an off year for his standards is still 3rd in the league in assists per game. Trae at just 24 years of age currently sits at 3,186 assists in his career.
In reality, the game is always changing, that’s what makes basketball so fun. We have young prospects such as Victor Wembenyama coming into the league who could potentially shatter all of these records. The three mentioned records were all set by great players, but could the players of the future be even greater? Only time will tell.
