This article contains two charts: The first chart is a list of the top 50 all-time scorers in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The list includes only points scored in regular season games. The second chart is a progressive list of the leading all-time NBA scorers. [1] LeBron James is the leading scorer in NBA history.
The following is a list of National Basketball Association players by total career regular season points scored.
^ | Active NBA player |
* | Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
† | Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration [lower-alpha 1] |
This is a progressive list of scoring leaders showing how the record increased through the years. [1]
^ | Active NBA player |
* | Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
ATL | Atlanta Hawks | DET | Detroit Pistons | MIL | Milwaukee Bucks | PHW | Philadelphia Warriors |
BOS | Boston Celtics | FTW | Fort Wayne Pistons | MIN | Minnesota Timberwolves | PHX | Phoenix Suns |
BUF | Buffalo Braves | GSW | Golden State Warriors | MNL | Minneapolis Lakers | SAS | San Antonio Spurs |
CHI | Chicago Bulls | HOU | Houston Rockets | NOJ | New Orleans Jazz | SDR | San Diego Rockets |
CHS | Chicago Stags | IND | Indiana Pacers | NOP | New Orleans Pelicans | SFW | San Francisco Warriors |
CLE | Cleveland Cavaliers | KCO | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | OKC | Oklahoma City Thunder | STL | St. Louis Hawks |
DAL | Dallas Mavericks | LAL | Los Angeles Lakers | ORL | Orlando Magic | SYR | Syracuse Nationals |
DEN | Denver Nuggets | MIA | Miami Heat | PHI | Philadelphia 76ers | UTA | Utah Jazz |
Season | Year-by-year leader | Points | Active player leader | Total points | Career record | Total points | Single-season record | Points | Season |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1946–47 | Joe Fulks* PHW | 1,389 | Joe Fulks* PHW | 1,389 | Joe Fulks* PHW | 1,389 | Joe Fulks* PHW | 1,389 | 1946–47 |
1947–48 | Max Zaslofsky CHS | 1,007 | 2,338 | 2,338 | 1947–48 | ||||
1948–49 | George Mikan* MNL | 1,698 | 3,898 | 3,898 | George Mikan* MNL | 1,698 | 1948–49 | ||
1949–50 | 1,865 | 4,863 | 4,863 | 1,865 | 1949–50 | ||||
1950–51 | 1,932 | 6,099 | 6,099 | 1,932 | 1950–51 | ||||
1951–52 | Paul Arizin* PHW | 1,674 | 7,021 | 7,021 | 1951–52 | ||||
1952–53 | Neil Johnston* PHW | 1,564 | George Mikan* MNL | 8,460 | George Mikan* MNL | 8,460 | 1952–53 | ||
1953–54 | 1,759 | 9,766 | 9,766 | 1953–54 | |||||
1954–55 | 1,631 | Max Zaslofsky FTW | 7,902 | 1954–55 | |||||
1955–56 | Bob Pettit* STL | 1,849 | George Mikan* MNL | 10,156 | 10,156 | 1955–56 | |||
1956–57 | Paul Arizin* PHW | 1,817 | Ed Macauley* STL | 10,150 | 1956–57 | ||||
1957–58 | George Yardley* DET | 2,001 | Dolph Schayes* SYR | 11,764 | Dolph Schayes* SYR | 11,764 | George Yardley* DET | 2,001 | 1957–58 |
1958–59 | Bob Pettit* STL | 2,105 | 13,298 | 13,298 | Bob Pettit* STL | 2,105 | 1958–59 | ||
1959–60 | Wilt Chamberlain* PHW 1959–62 SFW 1962–65 PHI 1965–66 | 2,707 | 14,987 | 14,987 | Wilt Chamberlain* PHW | 2,707 | 1959–60 | ||
1960–61 | 3,033 | 16,855 | 16,855 | 3,033 | 1960–61 | ||||
1961–62 | 4,029 | 17,677 | 17,677 | 4,029 | 1961–62 | ||||
1962–63 | 3,586 | 18,304 | 18,304 | 1962–63 | |||||
1963–64 | 2,948 | Bob Pettit* STL | 19,756 | Bob Pettit* STL | 19,756 | 1963–64 | |||
1964–65 | 2,534 | 20,880 | 20,880 | 1964–65 | |||||
1965–66 | 2,649 | Wilt Chamberlain* PHI 1965–68 LAL 1968–73 | 21,486 | Wilt Chamberlain* PHI 1965–68 LAL 1968–73 | 21,486 | 1965–66 | |||
1966–67 | Rick Barry* SFW | 2,775 | 23,442 | 23,442 | 1966–67 | ||||
1967–68 | Dave Bing* DET | 2,142 | 25,434 | 25,434 | 1967–68 | ||||
1968–69 | Elvin Hayes* SDR | 2,327 | 27,098 | 27,098 | 1968–69 | ||||
1969–70 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* MIL | 2,361 | 27,426 | 27,426 | 1969–70 | ||||
1970–71 | 2,596 | 29,122 | 29,122 | 1970–71 | |||||
1971–72 | 2,822 | 30,335 | 30,335 | 1971–72 | |||||
1972–73 | Nate Archibald* KCO | 2,719 | 31,419 | 31,419 | 1972–73 | ||||
1973–74 | Bob McAdoo* BUF | 2,261 | Oscar Robertson* MIL | 26,710 | 1973–74 | ||||
1974–75 | 2,831 | John Havlicek* BOS | 22,389 | 1974–75 | |||||
1975–76 | 2,427 | 23,678 | 1975–76 | ||||||
1976–77 | Pete Maravich* NOJ | 2,273 | 25,073 | 1976–77 | |||||
1977–78 | George Gervin* SAS | 2,232 | 26,395 | 1977–78 | |||||
1978–79 | 2,365 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* LAL | 22,141 | 1978–79 | |||||
1979–80 | 2,585 | 24,175 | 1979–80 | ||||||
1980–81 | Adrian Dantley* UTA | 2,452 | 26,270 | 1980–81 | |||||
1981–82 | George Gervin* SAS | 2,551 | 28,088 | 1981–82 | |||||
1982–83 | Alex English* DEN | 2,326 | 29,810 | 1982–83 | |||||
1983–84 | Adrian Dantley* UTA | 2,418 | 31,527 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* LAL | 31,527 | 1983–84 | |||
1984–85 | Michael Jordan* CHI | 2,313 | 33,262 | 33,262 | 1984–85 | ||||
1985–86 | Alex English* DEN | 2,414 | 35,108 | 35,108 | 1985–86 | ||||
1986–87 | Michael Jordan* CHI | 3,041 | 36,474 | 36,474 | 1986–87 | ||||
1987–88 | 2,868 | 37,639 | 37,639 | 1987–88 | |||||
1988–89 | 2,633 | 38,387 | 38,387 | 1988–89 | |||||
1989–90 | 2,753 | Moses Malone* ATL 1989–91 MIL 1991–93 PHI 1993–94 SAS 1994–95 | 24,868 | 1989–90 | |||||
1990–91 | 2,580 | 25,737 | 1990–91 | ||||||
1991–92 | 2,404 | 27,016 | 1991–92 | ||||||
1992–93 | 2,541 | 27,066 | 1992–93 | ||||||
1993–94 | David Robinson* SAS | 2,383 | 27,360 | 1993–94 | |||||
1994–95 | Shaquille O'Neal* ORL | 2,315 | 27,409 | 1994–95 | |||||
1995–96 | Michael Jordan* CHI | 2,491 | Michael Jordan* CHI | 24,489 | 1995–96 | ||||
1996–97 | 2,431 | 26,920 | 1996–97 | ||||||
1997–98 | 2,357 | 29,277 | 1997–98 | ||||||
1998–99 | Shaquille O'Neal* LAL | 1,289 | Karl Malone* UTA 1998–2003 LAL 2003–04 | 28,946 | 1998–99 | ||||
1999–00 | 2,344 | 31,041 | 1999–00 | ||||||
2000–01 | Jerry Stackhouse DET | 2,380 | 32,919 | 2000–01 | |||||
2001–02 | Paul Pierce* BOS | 2,144 | 34,707 | 2001–02 | |||||
2002–03 | Kobe Bryant* LAL | 2,461 | 36,374 | 2002–03 | |||||
2003–04 | Kevin Garnett* MIN | 1,987 | 36,928 | 2003–04 | |||||
2004–05 | Allen Iverson* PHI | 2,302 | Reggie Miller* IND | 25,279 | 2004–05 | ||||
2005–06 | Kobe Bryant* LAL | 2,832 | Shaquille O'Neal* MIA 2005–08 PHX 2008–09 CLE 2009–10 BOS 2010–11 | 24,764 | 2005–06 | ||||
2006–07 | 2,430 | 25,454 | 2006–07 | ||||||
2007–08 | 2,323 | 26,286 | 2007–08 | ||||||
2008–09 | Dwyane Wade* MIA | 2,386 | 27,619 | 2008–09 | |||||
2009–10 | Kevin Durant^ OKC | 2,472 | 28,255 | 2009–10 | |||||
2010–11 | 2,161 | 28,596 | 2010–11 | ||||||
2011–12 | 1,850 | Kobe Bryant* LAL | 29,484 | 2011–12 | |||||
2012–13 | 2,280 | 31,617 | 2012–13 | ||||||
2013–14 | 2,593 | 31,700 | 2013–14 | ||||||
2014–15 | James Harden^ HOU | 2,217 | 32,482 | 2014–15 | |||||
2015–16 | 2,376 | 33,643 | 2015–16 | ||||||
2016–17 | Russell Westbrook^ OKC | 2,558 | Dirk Nowitzki* DAL | 30,260 | 2016–17 | ||||
2017–18 | LeBron James^ CLE | 2,251 | 31,187 | 2017–18 | |||||
2018–19 | James Harden^ HOU | 2,818 | LeBron James^ LAL | 32,543 | 2018–19 | ||||
2019–20 | 2,335 | 34,241 | 2019–20 | ||||||
2020–21 | Stephen Curry^ GSW | 2,015 | 35,367 | 2020–21 | |||||
2021–22 | Trae Young^ ATL | 2,155 | 37,062 | 2021–22 | |||||
2022–23 | Jayson Tatum^ BOS | 2,225 | 38,652 | LeBron James^ LAL | 38,652 | 2022–23 | |||
2023–24 | Luka Dončić^ DAL | 2,370 | 40,474 | 40,474 | 2023–24 | ||||
Season | Year-by-year leader | Points | Active player leader | Total points | Career record | Total points | Single-season record | Points | Season |
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), he is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time and is considered by many to be the greatest European player of all time. In 2021, he was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. In 2023, Nowitzki was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.