In part one, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Tracy McGrady, Kyrie Irving and Shaquille O’Neal were named the No. 6-10 purest NBA scorers ever. Each of them has brought a unique flavor to the game, dominating in different ways.
Harden revolutionized the game with his rulebook manipulation, crafty dribbling and step-back threes. He continues to score at a high level. Luka understands how to create space for himself anywhere and will put the ball in the hoop at will. T-Mac blended athleticism with three-level scoring and set a template for future wings. Kyrie has a deeper bag of tricks than any other NBA player in history. Shaq was the most dominant big man ever.
None of those five men could be stopped when they got going. Who was more lethal than them?
5. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game in his career, the highest ever. He holds the most scoring titles ever with 10. Jordan managed to do all this in an era where hand-checking was allowed, making it much more difficult for offenses to manipulate defenses one-on-one.
However, offsetting this was a rule back then that banned double-teams and zone defenses. Jordan didn’t have to deal with the level of help defense that modern players do.
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Jordan was not a great three-point shooter, but that was where his offensive weaknesses ended. His mid-range jumper was elite, and he could hang in the air longer than just about anyone, making him unstoppable around the rim. His athleticism and acrobatics allowed him to convert in ways that had not been seen before at the time. In addition, MJ could operate in the post. He would often hit fadeaways and spin out of the post to get to the rack.
4. Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony may have been better than anyone else in the triple threat. His jab steps and pump fakes, which he would often use repeatedly, were ultra-effective. But he could just as easily beat defenders off the dribble.
Melo knew how to use his body inside and finish through contact. His pull-up jumper was one of the best, whether in the mid-range or beyond the arc. He averaged over 20 points per game for the first 14 seasons of his career, including a scoring title in 2012-13.
Melo vs MJ
When looking purely at numbers, Melo shouldn’t be ranked higher than Michael Jordan. After all, the sheer volume of Jordan’s scoring was much higher.
But consider that Jordan shot 23.3 field goals per game throughout his career compared to Melo’s 18. In addition, throughout Jordan’s career, he was the top scoring option. This only came into question in his last season in Washington. Melo played five seasons after the Knicks traded him, and he was the top scoring option in none of them.
The game was changing by that point, and Melo was explicitly discouraged from shooting mid-range shots. This took out a significant chunk of Melo’s game. Not only that, defenders knew that his options were now limited, leaving them with a better idea of what he was going to do.
This time period of Melo’s career was different from his time with the Nuggets and Knicks, and he had to play a different role. It should not affect people’s perspective of how great a scorer he was.
3. LeBron James
LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and has averaged 26.9 points per game throughout his career. He has a scoring title to his name and has averaged at least 30 points per game three separate times. Despite always being the first scoring option until Luka Doncic joined him on the Lakers, he holds a 50.6 career field goal percentage. Not only is LeBron a great scorer, but he’s efficient.
LeBron started his career as an athletic freak who could get to the rim and shoot the mid-range. He then quickly developed his body and a three-point shot. While he was never an elite shooter, it became a key part of his game. He even eventually came up with a signature move for three-pointers that fans coined “The LeF**k You Three.”
LeBron turned into a bulldozer who still had the speed and jumping ability, but he wasn’t done improving. He developed a post game even later in his career that he relied on more as his athleticism waned.
Furthermore, LeBron is statistically one of, if not the best, clutch scorers ever. LeBron’s success and longevity will make his scoring record extremely difficult to break when he decides to hang it up.
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2. Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant’s scoring abilities were a combination of extreme hard work, talent, studying and a relentless will to massacre his opponents. His moves mirrored Michael Jordan’s, but had a modern twist. He didn’t have Jordan’s athleticism, but he had a better three-point shot and better footwork. Playing against defenders like Tony Allen and Shane Battier forced Kobe to become the best player he could possibly be.
Kobe once dropped 81 points per game, the second-most ever. He won back-to-back scoring titles in ‘06 and ‘07. While he had a slow start to his career and didn’t have the longevity of LeBron, he was arguably the best scorer in the league for well over a decade.
Many will point to Kobe’s shooting percentage as the Achilles heel of his scoring legacy, but numbers don’t tell the whole story. For someone who received little to no star help at times in his career, and someone who detested passing to teammates he didn’t trust, a 44.7 career field goal percentage isn’t bad. In addition, Kobe was never afraid of tough shots, often hoisting up shots over multiple defenders. Missing shots like that doesn’t take away from Kobe’s offensive ability.
1. Kevin Durant
No one like Kevin Durant has ever stepped foot on an NBA court. The 6-foot-11 “Slim Reaper” has the skills and quickness of a guard. Guards and wings are too short to guard him, and big men are too slow. If someone can get a hand in his face, it often doesn’t matter anyway.
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When KD first came into the league, he did have weaknesses despite his alien-like advantages. But he quickly patched those up, and soon, even film gurus like Kobe couldn’t figure him out. KD has four scoring titles and had perhaps the best return from an Achilles tear ever.
For players like Kobe, Derrick Rose and many others, tearing their Achilles was the beginning of the end. KD came back like nothing ever happened. While the injury recovery isn’t a testament to KD’s skill, it allowed him to continue being the best scorer ever at a high level.
KD’s hesitation move freezes defenders and his drifting crossovers create space they can’t close. His pull-up jumpers are a foregone conclusion. These remain his bread and butter, but his offensive game knows no limits. While every aforementioned player has taken the league by storm, none are as unstoppable with the ball as Kevin Durant.
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