Every basketball coach on Earth will tell you that he’d choose defense over offense and that, even though scoring will win you a game, a solid defense can win you a championship. And, while those statements are true to some degree, that’s not the way the NBA is conceived, at least not anymore.
Most fans crowd NBA arenas to watch a shootout. They love poster dunks, players dominating with contested turnaround fadeaways, snipers shooting from the logo. The league is all about scoring nowadays.
Even so, there has been a handful of players who had been able to score at will from the very second they set foot in an NBA hardwood. Regardless of their competition or who’s guarding them, they’re an instant bucket.
Those players led the NBA in scoring not once, not twice, but multiple times throughout their careers, and are the crème of the crop when we talk about scorers. Today, we’re going to honor them by letting you know about the players with themost Scoring Titles in NBA history.
Honorable Mention: James Harden, George Mikan, Bob McAdoo, Neil Johnson (3)
NBA Players With The Most Scoring Titles
5. George Gervin – 4
George Gervin. (Getty)
Scoring Titles: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982
Young fans don’t talk enough about George Gervin but back in the day, he was a walking bucket. He had a feel for knocking down huge shots when it matters the most, thus his nickname ‘The Iceman’.
Gervin was incredibly athletic and always found the way to send the ball through the hoop. In fact, he averaged at least 14 points per game in every single season he played professional basketball in the ABA and NBA.
George Gervin even had seasons averaging 33.1 and 32.3 points per game, and perhaps the most impressive part about his game was just how much of an efficient scorer he was, retiring with a 51.1% field goal percentage.
4. Allen Iverson – 4
Allen Iverson. (Getty)
Scoring Titles: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005
What can we say about Allen Iverson that hasn’t been said multiple times already? We’re talking about, perhaps, the most skilled and offensively talented player to ever live, regardless of the fact that he never won an NBA championship.
Allen had one of the best handles this league has ever seen. He was strong, fast, athletic, and a relentless competitor with a scoring versatility that was nearly unmatched back in the day. Also, he was a trend-setter and one of the most influential players of all time.
‘The Answer’ averaged double-digits in scoring in every single season in the NBA, including seasons of 31.1, 31.4, 30.7, and 33.0 points per game. Undoubtedly, he’s one of the best to ever do it.
3. Kevin Durant – 4
Kevin Durant. (Getty)
Scoring Titles: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
Kevin Durant is the ultimate cheat code. He’s so good and so physically gifted that he shouldn’t be allowed to play against regular humans. He’s a seven-footer with the handles and the moves of a guard, and his combination of size and skill is just unprecedented.
It didn’t take long before Durant proved that he was one of the biggest offensive juggernauts in NBA history. In fact, he won his first scoring title in just his third season in the league with 30.1 points per game.
Somehow, Durant continues to get better with time, combining his explosiveness and athleticism with a sweet shooting stroke. He has a shot at being the greatest pure scorer of all time and is one of the few members of the 50/40/90 club of players who finished at least one season shooting 50% from the floor, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line.
2. Wilt Chamberlain – 7
Wilt Chamberlain. (Getty)
Scoring Titles: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966
The man, the legend, the walking record. Wilt Chamberlain dominated the NBA in ways no other player may be able to do, and even though he only won a couple of rings over his career, he was the guy everybody feared and respected around the league.
Chamberlain broke countless records throughout his career, including the highest-scoring game ever with 100 points. He also has the record for the highest-scoring average in a season with a whopping 50.4 points per game.
There will never be a player who can match Chamberlain’s numbers, regardless of how offensive-minded the game is nowadays. We’re talking about a guy who averaged 30.1 points per game over his career.
see also
25 incredible NBA records unlikely to be broken
1. Michael Jordan – 10
Michael Jordan. (Getty)
Scoring Titles: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
And, obviously, no list of great players would be complete without the greatest to ever do it. The one and only, His Airness, The Black Cat: Michael Jordan, A.K.A the most dominant scorer of all time.
Michael Jordan would’ve won 12 Scoring Titles if it wasn’t for his retirement. More impressively, he would’ve won them consecutively. He holds the record for the highest points-per-game average, as well as the highest scoring average in the playoffs.
Jordan had seven straight seasons averaging north of 30 points per game, including a career-best 37.1 points per game in just his third season in the Association. To make it even more impressive, he was also named Defensive Player of the Year while averaging 35.0 points per game.
