NBA Honors: Scoring Leaders, Year by Year

This is the complete list of NBA players that led the league in points, year by year.

Current Scoring Leader:

Joel Embiid
2022-23 Scoring Leader

NBA Honors: Scoring Leader

Since the 1969-70 NBA season, the leading scorer is determined by points per game. Previously, from 1946-47 through the 1968-69 season, the NBA scoring leader was the player with more total points at the end of each season.

Afer Michael Jordan averaged 35.0 points in 1987-88, only 2 players have broke the 35-point mark: Kobe Bryant in 2005-06 and James Harden in 2018-19.

Three players from the 2003 Draft have led the NBA in scoring: Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony, and 3 former teammates Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden were the scoring leaders in 9 of the last 14 seasons. In 2016 Stephen Curry made more three-pointers than anybody in NBA history to become the top scorer.

Scoring Leaders: by Year / by Player / by Team

NBA Champions = NBA Champion that same year

NBA Scoring Leaders Year by Year

more >>
Season
Player
Team
Points Per Game
Total Points Games
2022-23 Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers 33.1 2,183 66
2021-22 Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers 30.6 2,079 68
2020-21 Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors 32.0 2,015 63
2019-20 James Harden Houston Rockets 34.3 2,335 68
2018-19 James Harden Houston Rockets 36.1 2,818 78
2017-18 James Harden Houston Rockets 30.4 2,191 72
2016-17 Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder 31.6 2,558 81
2015-16 Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors 30.1 2,375 79
2014-15 Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder 28.1 1,886 67
2013-14 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 32.0 2,593 81
2012-13 Carmelo Anthony New York Knicks 28.7 1,920 67
2011-12 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 28.0 1,850 66
2010-11 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 27.7 2,161 78
2009-10 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 30.1 2,472 82
2008-09 Dwyane Wade Miami Heat 30.2 2,386 79
Season
Player
Team
Points Per Game
Total Points Games
2007-08 LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers 30.0 2,250 75
2006-07 Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers 31.6 2,430 77
2005-06 Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers 35.4 2,832 80
2004-05 Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 30.7 2,302 75
2003-04 Tracy McGrady Orlando Magic 28.0 1,878 67
2002-03 Tracy McGrady Orlando Magic 32.1 2,407 75
2001-02 Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 31.4 1,883 60
2000-01 Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 31.1 2,207 71
1999-00 Shaquille O'Neal
NBA Champions
Los Angeles Lakers 29.7 2,344 79
1998-99 Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 26.8 1,284 48
1997-98 Michael Jordan
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 28.7 2,357 82
1996-97 Michael Jordan
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 29.6 2,431 82
1995-96 Michael Jordan
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 30.4 2,491 82
1994-95 Shaquille O'Neal Orlando Magic 29.3 2,315 79
1993-94 David Robinson San Antonio Spurs 29.8 2,383 80
1992-93 Michael Jordan
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 32.6 2,541 78
1991-92 Michael Jordan
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 30.1 2,404 80
Season
Player
Team
Points Per Game
Total Points Games
1990-91 Michael Jordan
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 31.5 2,580 82
1989-90 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 33.6 2,753 82
1988-89 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 32.5 2,633 81
1987-88 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 35.0 2,868 82
1986-87 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 37.1 3,041 82
1985-86 Dominique Wilkins Atlanta Hawks 30.3 2,366 78
1984-85 Bernard King New York Knicks 32.9 1,809 55
1983-84 Adrian Dantley Utah Jazz 30.6 2,418 79
1982-83 Alex English Denver Nuggets 28.4 2,326 82
1981-82 George Gervin San Antonio Spurs 32.3 2,551 79
1980-81 Adrian Dantley Utah Jazz 30.7 2,452 80
1979-80 George Gervin San Antonio Spurs 33.1 2,585 78
1978-79 George Gervin San Antonio Spurs 29.6 2,365 80
1977-78 George Gervin San Antonio Spurs 27.2 2,232 82
1976-77 Pete Maravich New Orleans Jazz 31.1 2,273 73
1975-76 Bob McAdoo Buffalo Braves 31.1 2,427 78
1974-75 Bob McAdoo Buffalo Braves 34.5 2,831 82
Season
Player
Team
Points Per Game
Total Points Games
1973-74 Bob McAdoo Buffalo Braves 30.6 2,261 74
1972-73 Tiny Archibald Kansas City-Omaha Kings 34.0 2,719 80
1971-72 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Milwaukee Bucks 34.8 2,822 81
1970-71 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1)
NBA Champions
Milwaukee Bucks 31.7 2,596 82
1969-70 Jerry West Los Angeles Lakers 31.2 2,309 74
1968-69 Elvin Hayes San Diego Rockets 28.4 2,327 82
1967-68 Dave Bing Detroit Pistons 27.1 2,142 79
1966-67 Rick Barry San Francisco Warriors 35.6 2,775 78
1965-66 Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia 76ers 33.5 2,649 79
1964-65 Wilt Chamberlain San Francisco Warriors / Philadelphia 76ers 34.7 2,534 73
1963-64 Wilt Chamberlain San Francisco Warriors 36.9 2,948 80
1962-63 Wilt Chamberlain San Francisco Warriors 44.8 3,586 80
1961-62 Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia Warriors 50.4 4,029 80
1960-61 Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia Warriors 38.4 3,033 79
1959-60 Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia Warriors 37.6 2,707 72
1958-59 Bob Pettit St. Louis Hawks 29.2 2,105 72
1957-58 George Yardley Detroit Pistons 27.8 2,001 72
Season
Player
Team
Points Per Game
Total Points Games
1956-57 Paul Arizin Philadelphia Warriors 25.6 1,817 71
1955-56 Bob Pettit St. Louis Hawks 25.7 1,849 72
1954-55 Neil Johnston Philadelphia Warriors 22.7 1,631 72
1953-54 Neil Johnston Philadelphia Warriors 24.4 1,759 72
1952-53 Neil Johnston Philadelphia Warriors 22.3 1,564 70
1951-52 Paul Arizin Philadelphia Warriors 25.4 1,674 66
1950-51 George Mikan Minneapolis Lakers 28.4 1,932 68
1949-50 George Mikan
NBA Champions
Minneapolis Lakers 27.4 1,865 68
1948-49 George Mikan
NBA Champions
Minneapolis Lakers 28.3 1,698 60
1947-48 Max Zaslofsky Chicago Stags 21.0 1,007 48
1946-47 Joe Fulks
NBA Champions
Philadelphia Warriors 23.2 1,389 60

(1) When he won the award his name was Lew Alcindor. He changed it to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after the 1970-71 season.