Today we're going to list down the best scorers the NBA has ever seen in history. And before we begin, this list is of players who do not play in the NBA as the title suggests and would not be including players who are currently playing in the league. So let's begin.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar:
The first name that came to my mind and everyone else's would obviously be Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Still sitting at the number 1 position on the list of all time scoring, Kareem is at a whopping 38,387 points while averaging 24.6 points his whole career.
Kareem was big, he was tall, he could shoot and drive but most importantly, his skyhook was his signature hook shot that he never missed and that's why he's number 1 in points and number 1 on our list.
Also Read | Best Shooters in NBA history
Karl Malone:
The mailman Karl Malone was an extremely strong and powerful power forward who played the post with a certain grit and grind throughout his career. He was a physical forward who learned a lot of his strength to power through defenders and rightfully so.
Malone stands at number 2 on the all time scoring list with 36,928 points all due to his dominant physical presence inside the paint. Though he was big, he was quite versatile and agile for a player of his build giving him a certain advantage over defenders. Malone apart from his post presence was an excellent shooter as well and is considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time to ever play the game.
Kobe Bryant:
The Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant was a straight up scoring machine. A deadly outside shooter and an even deadlier inside scorer, Bryant was the epitome of it all. One of the sweetest shooting releases I've ever seen, Bryant wouldn't bother shaking defenders and would just come up and score on top of them. Kobe was fearless. He had no fear for his own sake while driving towards the rim and had ice in his veins when shooting for the win making him one of the most clutch players in NBA history.
Bryant's point total by the end of his career was 33,643 but Bryant's legacy and his Mamba mentality made him a more lethal scorer. If Bryant hadn't suffered so many injuries by the twilight of his career, his point total would've been much higher.
Michael Jordan:
The GOAT of basketball Michael Jordan also does make the list of the best scorers in the history of the NBA. Jordan, pertaining to the title of the GOAT, could simply do it all, all the while mesmerizing the defenders and viewers while doing so. Drive, shoot, dunk, pass, rebound, block, steal, Jordan was the best at everything.
Jordan's career point total is at 32,292 but his championship rings and moreover his gameplay speaks for itself every time. Jordan was the best at everything and that obviously did include scoring the ball as well.
Also Read | Best defenders in NBA history at each position
Wilt Chamberlain:
Now it would be disrespectful to not include Wilt the stilt in the list of the best scorers in the NBA. The 100 point man, Wilt was a freak of nature and could dominate both on offense and defense. Wilt has averaged 50 points in multiple seasons over his career in the NBA. His point total may put him out of the top 5 but Wilt certainly was one of the best scorers in NBA history.
Listed at 7'1 with a wingspan longer than his height, Wilt ran and jumped like a track athlete and not just lean but Wilt was strong too. Pushing defenders away with his strong frame, Wilt never had a problem scoring and if he did, he'd just rebound the ball and then score when all the defenders would be on the ground waiting for the ball to come down.
