Few, if any, moments in basketball capture the imagination of fans quite like a single player going on a scoring barrage. At some point it turns into something more akin to a video game. The basket must seem like it's 10-feet wide.
In short, it's special.
From Wilt Chamberlain’s mythical 100-point masterpiece in 1962 to Kobe Bryant’s awe-inspiring 81-point barrage in 2006, these games are statistical marvels and testaments to an individual player's greatness.
Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-Point Game: The Untouchable Record
On March 2, 1962 in front of just 4,124 fans in the Hershey Sports Arena, Chamberlain did the unthinkable.
The Warriors center scored 100 points.
And unfortunately, there's no video of the game. No full play-by-play. Just a handful of grainy photographs, radio snippets and first-hand accounts.
What we know for certain is that Chamberlain attempted 63 field goals, connected on 36 of them and shot 28-for-32 from the free-throw line.
New York's starting center, Phil Jordon, couldn't play that night due to either an illness or a severe hangover, depending on who is telling the story. Either way, with Jordan out, backup Darrall Imhoff was inserted into the starting lineup.
Chamberlain, who stood at 7-foot-1 and weighed in at nearly 280 lbs., had little trouble dominating starting centers. He averaged 50.4 points per game that season.
So, to be frank, Imhoff never stood a chance.
The Warriors knew by the fourth quarter that something magical was happening and began to force feed Chamberlain the ball. In some cases, they would intentionally foul Knicks players in order to stop the clock and regain possession.
The photo of Chamberlain sitting in the locker room and holding up a handwritten "100" sign is one of the most iconic images in sports history.
Kobe Bryant's 81-Point Outburst: A Modern Marvel
On January 22, 2006 a middling Los Angeles Lakers team became the center of the basketball world thanks to Kobe Bryant's legendary performance.
Trailing by 18 in the third quarter, the Lakers needed a spark to defeat the Toronto Raptors. Bryant was more than a spark—he was a thunderstorm.
Bryant dropped 55 second-half points, hitting everything from fadeaways to dunks to three-pointers.
The best part? Highlights of this game are readily available. Fans can watch every minute of Bryant's legendary performance, with no mystery. It's the exact opposite of Chamberlain's game.
Bryant finished 28-of-46 on the floor, 7-of-13 from three-point range and 18-of-20 from the free-throw line. He remains just the second player to ever eclipse 80 points in an NBA game.
Other Players Who Came Close to 100 Points
A player has scored 70 or more points just 15 times in NBA history and Chamberlain's done it himself seven times. That's a testament to just how incredible 'Wilt the Stilt' was offensively.
After Bryant's 81 points, no other player has scored more than 73. That feat has been accomplished four times. Twice by Chamberlain (in 1962), then by David Thompson in 1978 and Luka Doncic in 2024.
Chamberlain remains the only player to score 72 points in a single game (again in 1962). Four different players have scored 71: Damian Lillard (2023), Donovan Mitchell (2023), David Robinson (1994) and Elgin Baylor (1960).
The final three players to score at least 70 are Joel Embiid (2024), Devin Booker (2017) and Chamberlain (1963).
Highest Scoring Individual Games in NBA History
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Biggest Individual Scoring Games in NBA History: Who’s Come Closest to Wilt’s 100?.
