This article lists the NBA All-Time Leaders in career points per game: it includes each player’s points per game (PPG), total points, games played, field goal percentage (FG%), free throw percentage (FT%), and active period.
Among those NBA players ranked in the top twenty-five in career points per game, two averaged more than 30 points and all twenty-five averaged more than 22 points. Total career points for these players range from 11,764 to 38,387. The range for career field goal percentages for these players is .404 to .582 with eight players achieving shooting percentages greater than .500. Six of these players had careers lasting more than 15 years, five spent their entire careers with just one team, and seven remain active.
After reading this article, return to the following links to read: “NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points,” “NBA All-Time Leaders: Career 3 Pointers Made,” “NBA All-Time Leaders: Career 3 Point Percentage,” “NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made,” “NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throw Percentage,” “NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Rebounds,” “NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Rebounds Per Game (RPG) ,” “NBA Champions (1947-present),” “NBA Finals MVPs (1969-present),” “NBA All-Star Game Scores (1951-present),” and “NBA All-Star Game MVPs (1951-present).”
1. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Michael Jordan
Points Per Game (PPG): 30.12
Total Points: 32,292
Games Played: 1,072
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .497
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .835
Active Period: Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998); Washington Wizzards (2002-2003)
2. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Wilt Chamberlain
Points Per Game (PPG): 30.06
Total Points: 31,419
Games Played: 1,045
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .540
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .511
Active Period: Philadelphia/S.F. Warriors (1959-1965); Philadelphia 76ers (1965-1968); Los Angeles Lakers (1968-1973)
3. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – LeBron James
Points Per Game (PPG): 27.7
Total Points: 16,448
Games Played: 594
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .475
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .744
Active Period: Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-2010); Miami Heat (2010-present)
4. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Elgin Baylor
Points Per Game (PPG): 27.4
Total Points: 23,149
Games Played: 846
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .431
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .780
Active Period: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1958-1971)
5. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Jerry West
Points Per Game (PPG): 27.0
Total Points: 25,192
Games Played: 932
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .474
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .814
Active Period: Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974)
6. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Allen Iverson
Points Per Game (PPG): 26.7
Total Points: 24,638
Games Played: 914
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .425
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .780
Active Period: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006, 2009-2010); Denver Nuggets (2006-2009); Detroit Pistons (2008-2010); Memphis Grizzlies (2009)
7. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Bob Pettit
Points Per Game (PPG): 26.4
Total Points: 20,880
Games Played: 792
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .436
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .721
Active Period: Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954-1965)
8. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – George Gervin
Points Per Game (PPG): 26.2
Total Points: 20,708
Games Played: 791
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .511
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .844
Active Period: Virginia Squires (1973-1974); San Antonio Spurs (1974-1985); Chicago Bulls (1985-1986)
9. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Oscar Robertson
Points Per Game (PPG): 25.7
Total Points: 26,710
Games Played: 1,040
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .485
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .838
Active Period: Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970); Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974)
10. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Dwayne Wade
Points Per Game (PPG): 25.4
Total Points: 13,097
Games Played: 515
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .484
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .767
Active Period: Miami Heat (2003-present)
11. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Kobe Bryant
Points Per Game (PPG): 25.3
Total Points: 27,045
Games Played: 1,070
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .503
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .778
Active Period: Los Angeles Lakers (1996-present)
12. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Karl Malone
Points Per Game (PPG): 25.0
Total Points: 36,928
Games Played: 1,476
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .516
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .742
Active Period: Utah Jazz (1985-2002); Los Angeles Lakers (2002-2003)
13. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Dominique Wilkins
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.8
Total Points: 26,668
Games Played: 1,074
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .461
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .811
Active Period: Atlanta Hawks (1982-1994); Los Angeles Clippers (1993-1994); Boston Celtics (1994-1995); San Antonio Spurs (1996-1997); Orlando Magic (1998-1999)
14. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Carmelo Anthony
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.7
Total Points: 13,711
Games Played: 556
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .457
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .802
Active Period: Denver Nuggets (2003-present)
15. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.6
Total Points: 38,387
Games Played: 1,560
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .559
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .721
Active Period: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-1975); Los Angeles Lakers (1975-1988)
16. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Larry Bird
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.29
Total Points: 21,791
Games Played: 897
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .496
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .886
Active Period: Boston Celtics (1979-1992)
17. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Adrian Dantley
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.27
Total Points: 23,177
Games Played: 955
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .540
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .818
Active Period: Buffalo Braves (1976-1977); Indiana Pacers (1977); Los Angeles Lakers (1977-1979); Utah Jazz (1979-1986); Detroit Pistons (1986-1989); Dallas Mavericks (1988-1990); Milwaukee Bucks (1990-1991)
18. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Pete Maravich
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.2
Total Points: 15,948
Games Played: 658
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .441
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .820
Active Period: Atlanta Hawks (1970-1974); New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-1979); Boston Celtics (1979-1980)
19. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Shaquille O’Neal
Points Per Game (PPG): 23.7
Total Points: 28,590
Games Played: 1,206
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .582
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .527
Active Period: Orlando Magic (1992-1996); Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004); Miami Heat (2004-2007, 2007-2008); Phoenix Suns (2007-2008, 2008-2009), Cleveland Indians (2009-2010); Boston Celtics (2010-present)
20. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Rick Barry
Points Per Game (PPG): 23.2
Total Points: 18,395
Games Played: 794
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .449
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .900
Active Period: San Francisco Warriors (1965-1967); Oakland Oaks (1968-1969); Washington Caps (1969-1970); New York Nets (1970-1972); Golden State Warriors (1972-1978); Houston Rockets (1978-1980)
21. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Dirk Nowitzski
Points Per Game (PPG): 23.0
Total Points: 22,016
Games Played: 959
Field Goal Percentage (FG%):.475
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .876
Active Period: Dallas Mavericks (1998-present)
22. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Paul Arizin
Points Per Game (PPG): 22.8
Total Points: 16,266
Games Played: 713
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .421
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .810
Active Period: Philadelphia Warriors (1950-1962)
23. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – George Mikan
Points Per Game (PPG): 22.6
Total Points: 11,764
Games Played: 520
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .404
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .782
Active Period: Chicago American Gears (1946-1947); Minneapolis Lakers (1947-1956)
24. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Vince Carter
Points Per Game (PPG): 22.53
Total Points: 20,099
Games Played: 892
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .445
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .798
Active Period: Toronto Raptors (1998-2004); New Jersey Nets (2004-2009); Orlando Magic (2009-2010); Phoenix Suns (2010-present)
25. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game – Bernard King
Points Per Game (PPG): 22.49
Total Points: 19,653
Games Played: 874
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .518
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .730
Active Period: New Jersey Nets (1977-1979, 1992-1993); Utah Jazz (1979-1980); Golden State Warriors (1980-1982); New York Knicks (1982-1987); Washington Bullets (1987-1991)
Source(s):
“ALL-TIME LEADERS: POINTS PER GAME,” NBA.com
