NBA Players with the Highest Scoring Averages in Their 5th Season

Explore the NBA players who delivered the best stats ever in a 5th NBA season, ranked by regular season points per game. See how the all-time greats compare in this top-50 historical list.

Year:

5th

/ Other years

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Show: Season - Playoffs / Other Stats

Other Stats

Points Per Game

3-Pointers Made Per Game

Total

Which NBA player averaged the most points in the Regular Season in his 5th year?

Playing for the 1964 San Francisco Warriors, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 36.9 points in 80 games — the highest scoring average by any NBA player in his 5th season.

Points Per Game, 5th Season

36.9 ppg
Wilt Chamberlain
(1964 San Francisco Warriors)

Note: No game minimums were used for this list / = NBA champion in this season.

Points Per Game in a Player's 5th Season - Top 50

Regular Season

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
1	Wilt Chamberlain (1964 Warriors)	36.9	2,948	80	22.3	5.0	-	-	-
2	Elgin Baylor (1963 Lakers)	34.0	2,719	80	14.3	4.8	-	-	-
3	Michael Jordan (1989 Bulls)	32.5	2,633	81	8.0	8.0	2.9	0.8	0.3
4	Luka Doncic (2023 Mavericks)	32.4	2,138	66	8.6	8.0	1.4	0.5	2.8
5	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2023 Thunder)	31.4	2,135	68	4.8	5.5	1.6	1.0	0.9
6	Jack Twyman (1960 Royals)	31.2	2,338	75	8.9	3.5	-	-	-
7	Allen Iverson (2001 76ers)	31.1	2,207	71	3.8	4.6	2.5	0.3	1.4
8	Karl Malone (1990 Jazz)	31.0	2,540	82	11.1	2.8	1.5	0.6	0.2
9	Jerry West (1965 Lakers)	31.0	2,292	74	6.0	4.9	-	-	-
10	Adrian Dantley (1981 Jazz)	30.7	2,452	80	6.4	4.0	1.4	0.2	0.0

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
11	Rick Barry (1975 Warriors)	30.6	2,450	80	5.7	6.2	2.9	0.4	-
12	Oscar Robertson (1965 Royals)	30.4	2,279	75	9.0	11.5	-	-	-
13	World B. Free (1980 Clippers)	30.2	2,055	68	3.5	4.2	1.2	0.5	0.1
14	LeBron James (2008 Cavaliers)	30.0	2,250	75	7.9	7.2	1.8	1.1	1.5
15	David Robinson (1994 Spurs)	29.8	2,383	80	10.7	4.8	1.7	3.3	0.1
16	Gilbert Arenas (2006 Wizards)	29.3	2,346	80	3.5	6.1	2.0	0.3	2.5
17	Bob Pettit (1959 Hawks)	29.2	2,105	72	16.4	3.1	-	-	-
18	Dominique Wilkins (1987 Hawks)	29.0	2,294	79	6.3	3.3	1.5	0.6	0.4
19	Patrick Ewing (1990 Knicks)	28.6	2,347	82	10.9	2.2	1.0	4.0	0.0
20	Kobe Bryant (2001 Lakers)	28.5	1,938	68	5.9	5.0	1.7	0.6	0.9

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
21	Joel Embiid (2021 76ers)	28.5	1,451	51	10.6	2.8	1.0	1.4	1.1
22	Kevin Durant (2012 Thunder)	28.0	1,850	66	8.0	3.5	1.3	1.2	2.0
23	Anthony Davis (2017 Pelicans)	28.0	2,099	75	11.8	2.1	1.3	2.2	0.5
24	George Yardley (1958 Pistons)	27.8	2,001	72	10.7	1.3	-	-	-
25	Moses Malone (1981 Rockets)	27.8	2,222	80	14.8	1.8	1.0	1.9	0.0
26	Anthony Edwards (2025 Timberwolves)	27.6	2,177	79	5.7	4.5	1.2	0.6	4.1
27	George Gervin (1981 Spurs)	27.1	2,221	82	5.1	3.2	1.1	0.7	0.1
28	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1974 Bucks)	27.0	2,191	81	14.5	4.8	1.4	3.5	-
29	Dave Bing (1971 Pistons)	27.0	2,213	82	4.4	5.0	-	-	-
30	Damian Lillard (2017 Trail Blazers)	27.0	2,024	75	4.9	5.9	0.9	0.3	2.9

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
31	Clyde Drexler (1988 Trail Blazers)	27.0	2,185	81	6.6	5.8	2.5	0.6	0.1
32	Jayson Tatum (2022 Celtics)	26.9	2,046	76	8.0	4.4	1.0	0.6	3.0
33	Giannis Antetokounmpo (2018 Bucks)	26.9	2,014	75	10.0	4.8	1.5	1.4	0.6
34	Lou Hudson (1971 Hawks)	26.8	2,039	76	5.1	3.4	-	-	-
35	Devin Booker (2020 Suns)	26.6	1,863	70	4.2	6.5	0.7	0.3	2.0
36	Tiny Archibald (1975 Kings)	26.5	2,170	82	2.7	6.8	1.5	0.1	-
37	Karl-Anthony Towns (2020 Timberwolves)	26.5	926	35	10.8	4.4	0.9	1.2	3.3
38	Tyrese Maxey (2025 76ers)	26.3	1,369	52	3.3	6.1	1.8	0.4	3.1
39	Trae Young (2023 Hawks)	26.2	1,914	73	3.0	10.2	1.1	0.1	2.1
40	Shaquille O'Neal (1997 Lakers)	26.2	1,336	51	12.5	3.1	0.9	2.9	0.0

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
41	Billy Cunningham (1970 76ers)	26.1	2,114	81	13.6	4.3	-	-	-
42	Paul Pierce (2003 Celtics)	25.9	2,048	79	7.3	4.4	1.8	0.8	1.5
43	Donovan Mitchell (2022 Jazz)	25.9	1,733	67	4.2	5.3	1.5	0.2	3.5
44	Bob McAdoo (1977 more than 1 team)	25.8	1,861	72	12.9	2.8	1.1	1.4	-
45	Dale Ellis (1988 Supersonics)	25.8	1,938	75	4.5	2.6	1.0	0.1	1.4
46	Charles Barkley (1989 76ers)	25.8	2,037	79	12.5	4.1	1.6	0.8	0.4
47	Carmelo Anthony (2008 Nuggets)	25.7	1,978	77	7.4	3.4	1.3	0.5	0.8
48	Tracy McGrady (2002 Magic)	25.6	1,948	76	7.9	5.3	1.6	1.0	1.4
49	Paul Arizin (1957 Warriors)	25.6	1,817	71	7.9	2.1	-	-	-
50	David Thompson (1981 Nuggets)	25.5	1,967	77	3.7	3.0	0.7	0.8	0.1

* The NBA began recording rebounds in 1951, steals and blocks in 1974, and added the 3-point line in 1980.