 |
| Today marks the 50th anniversary of Wilt's 100 point game, a feat that might be slightly overrated. |
50 years ago today Wilt Chamberlain pulled off one of the most mind-blowing feats in the history of sports, 100 points in a single NBA game. This record has lasted for 50 years and surely will last another 50, but Wilt's single game point record has been greatly debated.
Wilt Chamberlain's absurd stats over the years have came under scrutiny for the NBA he played in, an NBA where being 7'1" was like being a Monstar in Space Jam, an NBA where Wilt's size and athleticism wasn't even fathomable let alone actually achievable. Chamberlain and Bill Russell were always the ones leading their teams to the NBA championship, amassing silly stats throughout the season. Actually in that same season in which Wilt had his infamous 100 point game, he averaged more than 50 points a game and 25 rebounds. His season stats are actually way more absurd a feat than his impressive single game performance. To average 50 points over 80 games is simply not realistic, but since Wilt's competitors were so behind in athleticism and size, these stats were totally achievable. So on the 50th anniversary of the the highest scoring performance in the NBA, we're actually going to celebrate the five best scoring performances in the modern era.
5. Tracy McGrady's 62 Points vs. Wizards, 2003
McGrady is probably the forgotten star among the NBA's finest players of the 2000s. He had a scoring touch few have ever possessed, but thanks to a slew of injuries and playoff failure, McGrady's legacy remains clouded. No one really knows how good T-Mac could have been, but we know that over time he showed flashes of greatness, and this game against the Wizards was certainly one of them. He might have been a decent 20-37 from the field, but you have to factor in the fact he missed 10 of his last 11 shots(would have been 19-27).
4. David Robinson's 71 Points vs. Clippers, 1994
It's surprising to see the Admiral on this list since he was mostly known for his defense and rebounding, but his basketball IQ was just so extensive that I understand why he's here. I'm not saying that Robinson wasn't a scoring big man, he just made his name more on his hard play on the other end. The Admiral might have been a big man, but he showed his shooting prowess in this game, making several mid-range jumpers. This is definitely the greatest scoring performance by a big man in the modern era, sorry Shaq, you've had some good ones, but you could never shoot the J like Dave.
3. Michael Jordan 69 Points vs. Cavs, 1990
This is Jordan's career high and he did it against his favorite beat-around team the Cleveland Cavaliers. Probably the most impressive part about this game was that he torched Craig Ehlo who was considered one of the better defenders in the league at the time. Jordan's pull up jumper is still one of the prettiest things I've ever seen and it was on showcase in this game. His dexterity to come to a full stop from going full speed, pull up and hit an 18 footer is probably was the most explosive part of his scoring repertoire. But really, Jordan's repertoire was as deep as the Atlantic Ocean and it was all explosive.
2. Allen Iverson's 54 Points vs. Raptors, 2001
AI literally carried the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001 earning him MVP honors in a season that I still think matches up to any of Jordan's greats. In the first round of the playoffs he absolutely torched the Raptors for 54 points, including 19 straight points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal on Game 2. Just in case you were wondering, AI would go for 52 again in Game 5. Iverson's career pretty much went downhill after this season. But this performance is just mesmerizing, just look at his iso's in this game, just silly. Also the announcer makes this game so much more exciting
1. Kobe's 81 Points vs. Raptors, 2004
I'm sorry but I think the video says it all. Kobe's 81, on mostly jump shots, is far and beyond the greatest scoring performance ever. He single handedly turned a comeback into a close game into a blow out, single handedly. Sorry, Wilt.
0 comments:
Post a Comment