Basketball is a game of numbers. Points, rebounds, assists, percentages — they tell stories that words alone can't capture. Here are some of the most fascinating numerical facts in NBA history.
Wilt Chamberlain's Impossible Numbers
Wilt Chamberlain's stats read like typos:
- 100 points in a single game (March 2, 1962 vs. New York Knicks)
- 50.4 PPG average for the 1961-62 season (the next highest season average is Wilt's own 44.8)
- 48.5 minutes per game average for the 1961-62 season (games are only 48 minutes — overtime pushed his average above regulation)
- 27.2 rebounds per game for his career (some seasons he averaged over 25 RPG)
- 55 rebounds in a single game (November 24, 1960)
- 23,924 total rebounds — more than anyone in history
To put Wilt's scoring in perspective: the second-highest scoring average for a season is also Wilt's — 44.8 PPG in 1962-63. No other player has ever averaged 40 in a season.
The 50-40-90 Club
The 50-40-90 club — 50% field goal, 40% three-point, 90% free throw shooting for a season — is one of basketball's most exclusive achievements. Only nine players have done it:
- Larry Bird (twice)
- Steve Nash (four times)
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Kevin Durant
- Stephen Curry
- Malcolm Brogdon
- Kyrie Irving
- Elena Delle Donne (WNBA)
- Mark Price
Steve Nash's four qualifying seasons stand out. He was so efficient that 50-40-90 was practically his baseline.
John Stockton's Untouchable Records
John Stockton holds two records that may never be broken:
- 15,806 career assists — the second-most is Jason Kidd with 12,091. That's a gap of nearly 4,000. To catch Stockton, a player would need to average 10 assists per game for 16 seasons straight.
- 3,265 career steals — the next closest is Jason Kidd with 2,684.
Stockton played 19 seasons, all with the Utah Jazz, and missed just 22 games in his entire career. His durability was almost as remarkable as his playmaking.
The Quadruple-Double
Only four quadruple-doubles have been officially recorded in NBA history:
- Nate Thurmond — 22 pts, 14 reb, 13 ast, 12 blk (1974)
- Alvin Robertson — 20 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast, 10 stl (1986)
- Hakeem Olajuwon — 18 pts, 16 reb, 10 ast, 11 blk (1990)
- David Robinson — 34 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast, 10 blk (1994)
All four involved blocks or steals as the fourth category, showing how rare it is for a player to dominate defensively while also putting up triple-double offensive numbers.
Efficiency Extremes
- Highest career PER (Player Efficiency Rating): Michael Jordan at 27.9
- Highest single-season PER: Giannis Antetokounmpo at 33.8 (2019-20)
- Highest career true shooting percentage (minimum 5,000 points): DeAndre Jordan at 67.1%
- Most efficient 30+ PPG season: Stephen Curry in 2015-16 (30.1 PPG on 50.4/45.4/90.8 shooting)
Streak Records
- Longest winning streak: 33 games (2015-16 Warriors to start the season, broken; Lakers' 33-game streak in 1971-72 is the actual record for consecutive wins in a single season)
- Longest losing streak: 28 games (2014-15 & 2015-16 76ers, spanning two seasons)
- Longest playoff winning streak: 16 games (2016-17 Warriors, going 16-1 in the playoffs)
- Longest consecutive games played: A.C. Green — 1,192 games without missing one
Age Records
- Youngest to score 30,000 points: LeBron James (36 years old)
- Oldest player: Vince Carter retired at 43
- Youngest MVP: Derrick Rose at 22 (2011)
- Oldest MVP: Karl Malone at 35 (1999)
- Youngest player drafted: Andrew Bynum at 17 (2005)
Points in a Single Game
The all-time single-game scoring list:
- Wilt Chamberlain — 100 (1962)
- Wilt Chamberlain — 78 (1961)
- Wilt Chamberlain — 73 (1962)
- David Thompson — 73 (1978)
- Wilt Chamberlain — 72 (1962)
- Devin Booker — 70 (2017)
- David Robinson — 71 (1994)
- Elgin Baylor — 71 (1960)
Yes, Wilt occupies four of the top five spots. Devin Booker's 70-point game in 2017 is the only post-1980 performance in the top eight.
Numbers are the heart of basketball trivia. Every stat tells a story, and knowing the extremes — the highest, the lowest, the most, the fewest — gives you a huge advantage in Top 10 Quiz, Higher or Lower, and 2 Truths 1 Lie.