On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored an astonishing 100 points in an NBA game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks. That number is still the single-game NBA points record 61 years later. And while no NBA player has come within 18 points of that mark, all records are made to be broken. Here are the six NBA players with the best chance of breaking the Wilt Chamberlain points record, ranked.
Several players who have come the closest to this mark no longer play in the league. Kobe Bryant’s 81 points and David Thompson’s 73 points are the next closes marks set by players other than Wilt Chamberlain, who also has a 78-point game and three 73-point efforts.
Just days before the anniversary, though, Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard tied Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the active single-game NBA points record of 71.
If there is a current NBA player who could tie or break the Wilt Chamberlain record, here are the six most likely candidates.
6. Jayson Tatum
Of all the NBA players on this list, several have reached their full potential and are either at the peak of their careers or on the backside of their best days as scorers. However, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who turns 25 a day after the Wilt Chamberlain 100 points anniversary, is the second-youngest player on the list.
Tatum’s current career-high is 60 points, which he accomplished at the end of the 2020-21 season, and he is currently averaging 30.3 points per game. With the young talent the Celtics have on their roster in 2023, Tatum should continue developing as a scorer, and 100 points is on the table.
5. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry will turn 35 less than two weeks after the Wilt Chamberlain 100 points anniversary, making him the oldest player on this list and, as such, the player with the least time to accomplish this feat.
That said, Curry is the best 3-point shooter in NBA history, has a 62-point game under his belt as recently as 2021, and is as good a choice as any to get locked in from behind the arc one night.
As a four-time NBA champion, Curry is the ultimate team player, so he may not want to push for this record on his best night moving forward. But he’s also an all-time great, and breaking the single-game NBA points record could propel him into the GOAT conversation.
4. Donovan Mitchell
Along with Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell is the active player who has come the closest to the Wilt Chamberlain 100-point performance. Just a few weeks ago, on January 3, 2023, “Spider” dropped 71 against the Chicago Bulls.
When Donovan Mitchell left the Utah Jazz and went to Cleveland, he joined a much better team and one with other offensive threats. That means the defense can’t fully focus on him every night. This move might be the catalyst for Mitchell to push for the Wilt Chamberlain points record.
3. Devin Booker
Phoenix Suns sharpshooter Devin Booker is 26, so he still has plenty of time to eclipse his previous record (the third-best active mark) of 70 points. That was a while ago, though, as he did it back in 2017 in a loss against the Boston Celtics.
The interesting thing about Booker is that another legendary scorer, Kevin Durant is now his teammate. While this may mean fewer shots on most nights, it could also translate to more open shots on the right night.
If the Durant-led Suns gel in the next season or two, look out for Booker to have some monster games and, who knows, maybe even one like the Wilt Chamberlain 100-point effort.
2. Luka Doncic
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luke Doncic comes in as the youngest player on this list, having turned 24 just two days before the Wilt Chamberlain 100 points anniversary.
Doncic’s career-high is also 60 points, and he is leading the NBA in points per game this season at 33.2. The recent addition of Kyrie Irving, himself a 60-point scorer, has taken some of the defensive focus off of the young star, which could mean a massive scoring game is in his future.
As the youngest player on this list, Doncic has the most time to accomplish the single-game NBA points record, which puts him near the top of this group.
1. Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard showed exactly what he can do when he gets hot from 3-point range less than a week before the Wilt Chamberlain 100 points anniversary. In a 131-114 win over the hapless Houston Rockets, Lillard dropped 71 on a 13-of-22 night behind the arc.
As admirable as it is that Lillard stays in Portland despite the franchise’s lack of realistic championship chances, setting the single-game NBA points record may be his only hope for going down as a true basketball immortal.
And if anyone currently in the NBA can match or exceed the Wilt Chamberlain points record, “Big Game Dame” is that guy.
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