Highest Single-Season Scoring Averages in NBA History

About This Dataset

NBA players ranked by points per game average in a single regular season, according to official NBA Statistics records. Wilt Chamberlain's 1961–62 season scoring average of 50.4 points per game is the most extraordinary individual statistical achievement in the history of North American professional sport — a figure so far outside the normal range of elite performance that it has never been seriously threatened in the six decades since it was set. Chamberlain accomplished this total while playing virtually every minute of every game, in an era before the three-point line, shot clock variations, or defensive schemes designed specifically to contain him had been developed. His dominance over the 1960–61 through 1962–63 seasons — in which he averaged 38.4, 50.4, and 44.8 points per game respectively — represents a three-year stretch of statistical production that remains unmatched in any major professional sport.

Analysis

Wilt Chamberlain (1961–62) heads the table on 50.4, ahead of Wilt Chamberlain (1962–63) (44.8) and Wilt Chamberlain (1960–61) (38.4) in Points Per Game in 2019. The total is spread widely: even Wilt Chamberlain (1961–62) accounts for only 15.8% of the 8 combined. Places 3 to 8 are close together, spanning 38.4 to 35.4 Points Per Game.

Source: Wikipedia

Key Findings

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Wilt Chamberlain (1961–62) leads in Points Per Game with 50.40 in 2019.

📅

1962 recorded the highest combined total across all categories.

↔️

Gap in 2019: Wilt Chamberlain (1961–62) is 1.4× larger than Kobe Bryant (2005–06).

Highest Single-Season Scoring Averages in NBA History

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Data Insights Below

Data Insights

Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart

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Data Points

8 categories · 7 years

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Top Value

50.40

Wilt Chamberlain (1961–62)

Points Per Game · 1962

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Metrics

Points Per Game

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Period

1960 – 2019

7 years of data

Methodology & source

Data source: Wikipedia
Coverage: 8 entities · 1960–2019 (7 years) · 8 observations
Measure: Points Per Game
Last updated: 6 September 2026
Compiled by: The ANYSTAT team, from the source above

How the figures are calculated

Values are shown as reported by the source. Nothing is rescaled, rebased or converted — the only changes are thousand separators and decimals shown to two places.
Missing years are left empty rather than estimated — no interpolation, no carrying a previous year forward.
Change is measured between the first and last year in which an entity actually reported a value, so a series that starts late is not penalised for the years before it existed.
The compound annual rate is (last ÷ first)^(1 ÷ years) − 1, using those same two reported years.
Entities are ranked highest-first on their value in 2019.
An entity that reported nothing in the latest year is still listed — it follows the ranked entities in the table rather than being dropped.

Rankings & Full Data

8 records · Points Per Game · ranked by 2019

✓ 8 sourced

#	Category	1960	1961	1962	1963	1987	2006	2019	Change
🥇	Wilt Chamberlain (1961–62)	—	—	50.40	—	—	—	—	—
🥈	Wilt Chamberlain (1962–63)	—	—	—	44.80	—	—	—	—
🥉	Wilt Chamberlain (1960–61)	—	38.40	—	—	—	—	—	—
4	Elgin Baylor (1961–62)	—	—	38.30	—	—	—	—	—
5	Wilt Chamberlain (1959–60)	37.60	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
6	Michael Jordan (1986–87)	—	—	—	—	37.10	—	—	—
7	James Harden (2018–19)	—	—	—	—	—	—	36.10	—
8	Kobe Bryant (2005–06)	—	—	—	—	—	35.40	—	—