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In the annals of NBA history, Wilt Chamberlin literally and figuratively towers over the competition. As even the most casual basketball fan can tell you, the legendary Los Angeles Lakers big man could score, rebound, and block shots with incredible ease. Even today, almost 50 years after he retired, Wilt still dominates the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

While Chamberlain’s 100-point game may steal most of the headlines, he didn’t simply explode for one single, impressive outing. Looking at the NBA’s all-time single-game scoring list reveals the true extent of the center’s offensive prowess.

Wilt Chamberlain’s legendary NBA career

Growing up, Wilt Chamberlain actually preferred track and field to basketball. Eventually, though, his height led him to the hardwood; once there, he became a force of nature.

By the time he reached high school, Chamberlain was already dominating the Philadelphia basketball scene. After graduation, he took his talents to the University of Kansas; while he couldn’t claim a national title, he averaged an incredible 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds per game during two seasons with the Jayhawks.

Wilt then spent a season with the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the NBA’s Philadelphia Warriors in 1959. While the big man changed teams a few times—he also suited up for the Philadephia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers—his game transcended any individual team. During his 13 professional seasons, Wilt averaged 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds per game for his career; he also claimed two championships, four MVP awards, and countless other honors before calling it a career.

A larger than life figure, even beyond basketball

Due to his size and raw numbers, Wilt Chamberlain towered over the NBA landscape. His star status, however, wasn’t limited to the world of basketball.

According to Hank Stram’s book, the football coach once tried to bring Chamberlain to the Kansas City Chiefs as a wide receiver. While his physical prowess would have made him an unstoppable red zone threat, the big man wasn’t able to leave basketball behind to hit the gridiron.

That didn’t limit Wilt’s legendary status, though. He ran marathons and lifted weights with incredible ease; he was supposed to box Muhammad Ali, but the bout never took place. He also claimed to have slept with 20,000 women, adding another larger than life detail to his legacy.

Wilt Chamberlain dominates the NBA’s all-time scoring list

For most modern basketball fans, Wilt Chamberlain is nothing more than a name in the history book. While it’s been almost 50 years since the Big Dipper’s last NBA game, he’s still a fixture on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

In terms of all-time points, Chamberlain sits seventh on the list with 31,419. When you break things down to a per-game basis, though, Wilt is closer to the top. Michael Jordan leads the way with 30.12 points per outing; the Big Dipper stands tall in second place with 30.07 points per game.

When you look at the single-game scoring list, though, Chamberlain looks even more impressive. His legendary 100-point game still leads the way, but his scoring prowess wasn’t limited to that one performance. The center also occupies third place on the list with 78 points; he also scored 73 points on two occasions and broke the 60-point plateau on more than 20 other occasions.

While those numbers may be a bit hard to digest in written form, you can head over to Basketball-Reference and check out their list of single-game scoring leaders. When you see the sheer number of times that Wilt Chamberlain made the cut, you’ll understand his place on the NBA all-time scoring list.

Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference and Basketball-Reference

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Senior Writer, Programmer

Joe Kozlowski

Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he’s a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie.

Growing up loving Shaquille O’Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he’s continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives.

As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He’s barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe’s big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level.

Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.