Kobe Bryant passed Wilt Chamberlain for fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list on 30 March, to help the LA Lakers squeeze past the Sacramento Kings by 103-98.
Bryant finished the game with 19 points to pass Chamberlain’s total of 31,419. Bryant trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928) and Michael Jordan (32,292) on the list of all time leading scorers.
Barring injury, Bryant should pass Jordan during the 2013/14 season, although it is unclear whether he will play long enough to pass Malone and Abdul-Jabbar.
As he nears the end of his career, Bryant’s legacy is assured. Five championship rings, two Finals MVPs and one regular season MVP.
Not to mention the countless game winners and iconic performances such as the 81 point explosion against the Toronto Raptors on 22 January 2006.
When he retires he will be widely viewed as a top 10 player of all-time, sitting among exalted company such as Jordan, Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and his former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.
Bryant’s achievement has been widely lauded.
However, some analysts suggest that the achievement is somewhat hollow since Bryant played 188 more games to pass Chamberlain. Where does Bryant stand on the list of all-time greatest scorers?
The most common way to compare players is per game averages. By this measure Bryant is 10th all-time at 25.5 points per game.
By comparison, both Jordan and Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points per game over their careers. Bryant’s average currently exceeds both Malone and Abdul-Jabbar.
Points per game are a good measure but a flawed one since players benefit by playing more minutes.
During the 1960s star players would often play almost every minute. For example, Chamberlain averaged almost 46 minutes per game across his 1045 game career, while Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson both averaged around 42 minutes per game.
Coaches today are more conservative with their star players and sports science frowns on players playing every minute of every game. This factor, combined with a faster game, creates the illusion that star players from that era were more dominant that modern players.
Chamberlain famously scored 100 points against the New York Knicks during 1962, in route to averaging 50 points per game that season – two marks that are unlikely to ever be broken.
Robertson remarkably averaged a triple-double the same season (achieving ten or more in three different statistical areas such as points, rebounds and assists). While both players were tremendous basketballers they did benefit significantly due to the era they played in.
A better way to compare scorers are measures such as ‘points per minute’ or ‘points per 36 minutes’ – it does not matter since both provide the same result.
By this measure Bryant’s achievement is more impressive; he averages 25.1 points per 36 minutes compared with Chamberlain who averaged 23.6 points.
Although Bryant needed an additional 188 games to pass Chamberlain he actually did so by playing around 2,700 fewer minutes over the course of his career (the equivalent of about 75 games).
How does Bryant compare to the game’s other great scorers? Jordan is predictably at number one averaging 28.3 points per 36 minutes (Table 1).
Bryant’s average exceeds Abdul-Jabbar and Malone, and is also practically the same as contemporaries LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
The biggest surprise is George Gervin, the San Antonio guard / forward who led the league in scoring four times between 1976 and 1982.
There is one final factor that should not be overlooked. The pace of the game of basketball has changed dramatically over the NBA’s history. If a modern fan watched a game played during the 1960s they would be struck by how quick the game was and how many shots were taken.
The pace of the game back then was reminiscent of an All-Star game, rather than the slower, more deliberate pace that we now associate with the NBA. This factor, which primarily affects players such as Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, makes the scoring exploits of players in the 1960s less impressive relative to modern players.
It is not a surprise that Kobe Bryant is one of the game’s greatest scorers according to a variety of measures. With the exception of Michael Jordan and George Gervin, Bryant has scored as easily as anyone who has ever played the game including Chamberlain.
This analysis suggests that the scoring prowess of players such as Chamberlain is often overstated due to a variety of factors which boosted scoring during the 1960s.
Callam P
Roar Pro
Thanks mushi. Interesting stuff.
mushi
Roar Guru
The standard deviation numbers of scoring across the top 100 vs top 35 (29 teams versus 10) for 96/97 vs 66/67 suggest that scoring was slightly more evenly spread amongst the top 3-4 players on a team in 96 than in 66
Callam P
Roar Pro
I agree. Hence why he typically avoided the 3-point shot.
Callam P
Roar Pro
ohtani, you do make a good point and different styles may have contributed to different scoring trends. However, I still think that the number of possessions swamps the impact of different styles when it comes to scoring a lot of points. For example, during the 1990s a player averaged 30ppg on 6 occassions (1 if you exclude Jordan); by comparison, during the 1960s a player averaged 30ppg on 22 occassions (15 if you exclude Wilt). That is a sizable different - particularly when you consider there were far fewer teams in the league back then (8 teams in 1960 rising to 14 teams by 1969). If you exclude Wilt and Jordan, you were almost 40 times more likely to average 30ppg in the 1960s compared with the 1969s. So it may be true that players were able to spread the scoring but it is also true that the extra possessions allowed the best players to score more and they did.
Johnno
Guest
Good article on Dirk Mushi, he sure has some impressive stats, and boy did he impress me in those NBA 2011 finals. Average defender overall, but is a handful on offence.
mushi
Roar Guru
In terms of the myth - was he a below average 3pt shooter for the vast majority of his career. That is just a fact. Was he above average during the limited time they moved the three point line to long 2 territory - yes but still not good enough to crack the league leader board. From the real three point he shot less than 30%.
mushi
Roar Guru
But when the league average TS% is generally in the mid 50% that means Jordan's 3 pt shot was worse than deferring to an average shot attempt.
mushi
Roar Guru
I rate Dirk: http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/05/09/dirk-nowitzki-proving-hes-an-nba-playoff-dagger/
Callam P
Roar Pro
Jordan's shooting during the seasons the 3 point line was shortened indicates that he had very good range. However, his general reluctance to shoot 3 points when the line was further out suggests that he no longer viewed those as quality shots. Two things: Jordan was a highly efficient scorer throughout his career and 33% from the 3-point line is the equivalent to 50% from inside. In my view he took so few 3-pointers because he viewed them as being a less efficient way for him to score and for that to be the case he must've believe that he could not hit them consistently. The 3-point shot just was not a big part of Jordan's game, which probably boosts his percentages a bit (since he would have chosen to shoot them only when he was wide open). But I think that there is a reason the 3-point shot is a bigger part of Kobe's arsenal and it may be the one area that he actually has Jordan covered.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
But it's not like-for-like. In one era you had the first guy down the court taking a mid-range pull-up jumper and in the other era you've got four guys clearing out so your best scorer can take the shot or drive to the basket. The higher number of possessions prior to the 90s led to a greater spread in scoring with more players averaging double figures. Aside from guys like Wilt, West, Baylor and Robertson most other prolific scorers didn't put up bigger numbers than today's guys despite the extra possessions and higher minutes. What's more, missing meant less and shooters were encouraged to shoot. Also, the size of they key had a large part to play in Wilt's pre-64-65 numbers.
Johnno
Guest
mushi my point with MJ and the 3-point push is, for guards so much offence in terms of a player being remembered is based on his 3-point ability. Jordan was unique he had an all round game could shoot post up, 3's, jumpers , fast drive, he had it all was such a complete player. Where as a guy like Andrew Gaze or shane heal is only limited to shooting 3's, one reason why maybe those guy's didn't last in the NBA for long. And MJ was a better 3 point shooter than what he was given credit for, he as good as Kobe in the 3 department if not better,especially come play off time, or if he is inferior it's not by much. He's no Kevin Durant or steve kerr, or mark price, but jordan can shoot the 3. So it's more the myth that he didn't have 3 point shooting as part of his weaponry, when he did. What do you think of Dirk mushi, I rate him.
mushi
Roar Guru
I really don't get this push from you to have Jordan remembered as a three point shooter he has never been on the 3pt leader board for any season for his entire career. Never. not a single freaking time. He is not a noteable 3 point shooter!
Johnno
Guest
In terms of all round scoring ability Dirik Nowitzki is right up there. This is a 7 foot man who shoots 3-'s for peat's sake. People say Majic johnson 6'9 or larry Bird 6'9 tough shooting 3's, try marking up on a 7 footer with a sweet taste for the 3-point line. Nowitzki put on a master class in 2011 for the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA title. He schooled Lebron James, in that series. Nowitzki was 2007 NBA MVP. Is a big game clutch player lifts in the big moments not chokes. -Only player in the NBA with 150 three-pointers and 100 blocks in a single season: 2001 -One of only four players with an NBA Playoff career average of 25 ppg and 10 rpg One of eleven players to have been NBA Champion, NBA regular season MVP, NBA Finals MVP and a 10× NBA All-Star - One of only three players to surpass the mark of 1000 in both three-pointers and blocks for the career -Holds the record for most free-throws made in a single playoff season with 205 free-throws made: 2006 So the guy can shoot- -0.475 F/G% 0.382 3-point shooting percentage 0.87% from the free throw line His 3 point percentage is better than Micheal Jordan no less who shoots at .329% from the 3-point line Nowitski got his 3-point % a record for him .416% Micheal Jordan hit .500% from the 3point line in 17 games back in 1994/5 the year the bulls lost And he backed it up in a full regular season of 427% His washignton wizards stats brought down MJ's career stats full stop, including 3's But Dirk is a 7 foot power forwad and he is getting shooting stats like this, not a 6'6 shooting guard that MJ is , or Kobe is. Dirk is seriously up there for all round great offensive game, the man has a lot of moves, just watch the 2011 NBA finals , he worked LeBron James, Chris Bosch overtime.
Callam P
Roar Pro
It is not about saying that they are worse because they played a different style, it is about trying to compare statistics on a like-to-like basis. If you have an extra 30 possessions to work you should score more points but that does not mean you are better at scoring (or rebounding or passing etc). However, there is evidence that scoring during the 1960s was less efficient than todays players (even if you ignore the effect of the 3 point shot). For an appropriate comparision you have to at least try to compare similar things and adjusting for minutes and the number of possessions is a common and appropriate way to deal with that.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
I don't see why the 60s guys should be downgraded because of the awful half court game that was ushered in during the 90s. Running down the shot clock so you can run an iso play for your top scorer, who's invariably fouled on his way to the basket, shouldn't be held in higher regard than the run and gun style of the 60s.
Johnno
Guest
Larry was fine, basketball wise. His serious injury that reduced his basketball standard, he got injured on his tractor one off season in French Lick lol, his home town, around 1985-7 sometime then, so it was an injury off the court that stuffed his back up.
sledgeross
Guest
Some interesting points, though perhaps scoring is more biased towards the 2/3 spots. For example, how many 3 pointers did karl malone make in his career? What would have happened if Shaq was a 75% FT shooter. Did Kareen and Wilt attempt many 15 foot jumpshots. Ditto the Iceman, all we see if his finger-roll on highlights, did he dial from downtown? Cpmplete offensive game analysis should also take into account assists as well!
Callam P
Roar Pro
I approached it from the perspective that I was interested purely in which players had the greatest ability to get the ball in the basket - regardless of style. It was purely a discussion about scoring production, although a discussion about which players had the most complete offensive game would also be interesting.
mushi
Roar Guru
i'd also go the comparative to the average for the top 20. because the style of play of the era probably dictates some of the opportunity as well. For mine I would actually go with Kareem - not because of the total but because he had the closest thing to an automatic clean look that the NBA has developed (Yao was similar toward the back end of his career with that unblockable high release turn around fade away move but alas injuries robbed him)
mushi
Roar Guru
Cousins gets the "he's still young" kind of nod. It’s like when John Wall admitted to not improving during the lockout season it was because he played ball in the offseason, which was fun, rather than working on his game, which is tiresome work. He made that error cause he was young and perhaps a little unappreciative of how much he needed to do. Melo by now knows that if he wants to lock in on D, on the boards and get team mates involved then he can. He just chooses the more "fun" path.