This article is the first in a five-part series exploring one of the most iconic scoring achievements in basketball: the 50-point game. Since the NBA’s inception in 1946, fewer than 4% of the nearly 5,000 players in the league’s history have reached this milestone. Throughout this series, we’ll celebrate the rich history and remarkable performances that define the gravitas of the 50-point game.

The NBA’s return to a more high-paced game in recent years has led to some gaudy statistics that have not been seen since the time of Wilt Chamberlain. As a matter of fact, most of the incredible stat lines these days have come with the premise that it is the “First since Wilt”. This has helped keep the late Hall of Fame center in the public consciousness even if he passed away back in 1999 and more than 50 years have elapsed since his last professional game.

The 7’1 Chamberlain broke several records during the 14 seasons that he spent playing in the NBA from 1959 to 1973, with the most notable one being his 100-point game in 1962. Most of his single game records still stand to this day, though several of his career total milestones have already been surpassed over the years as his 14-year career was relatively short compared with those who came after him.

By the time Chamberlain retired in 1974, the longevity of his NBA stint was already remarkable. Among the players from his 1959 NBA Draft class, he was tied for the longest career with Dick Barnett and Johnny Green. When he officially retired, he had played just one season less than Dolph Schayes and Hal Greer, who each had 15-year careers that were the longest of all time at that point.

Nonetheless, Chamberlain made the most of his time in the league. Some of his records may not ever be broken and he still stands alone as the most dominant scorer on a per game basis. There have been 165 players in NBA history who have scored 50 or more points in a game, but only Chamberlain has averaged this during an entire season which he did back in 1961-62.

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During that standout year, Chamberlain appeared in 80 contests for the Philadelphia Warriors where he put up 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds in an equally astonishing 48.5 minutes per game. This was the season when Chamberlain had his legendary 100-point outing. He also had 44 other games where he scored more than 50 points, single-handedly dwarfing the NBA’s scoring surge in the 2022-23 season where there were 25 instances of 50-point games.

Throughout his career, Chamberlain recorded 118 games with 50 or more points, the most by far, accounting for nearly 20% of the 607 such games in NBA history. To emphasize how extraordinary this is, the next five players with the most 50-point games—Michael Jordan (31), Kobe Bryant (25), James Harden (23), Elgin Baylor (17), and Damian Lillard (15)—have a combined total of 111, which is still fewer than Chamberlain’s record.

Chamberlain also owns the most 70-point games in NBA history with six and no other player has ever done it twice. He and Kobe Bryant (81) are the only ones who have ever scored 74 points or more in an NBA game. In terms of 60-point games, he is also the all-time leader with 32 of them and is way ahead of the second-place Bryant (Six).

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The only stain, albeit a major one, in Chamberlain’s resume is his lack of postseason success. He did win two NBA titles, one in 1967 while he played for the Philadelphia 76ers and another in 1972 with the Los Angeles Lakers, but this pales in comparison to his contemporary and greatest rival, Bill Russell, who won nine of his 11 championships during Chamberlain’s career.

Russell and the Boston Celtics had a much deeper roster and were led by a superior coach in Red Aurebach which ultimately gave them an edge over Chamberlain and the rest of the league during that era. Chamberlain and Russell faced off only twice in the NBA Finals, with the latter emerging victorious on both occasions. When Chamberlain won his two championships in 1967 and 1972, neither was against Russell and the Celtics.

Chamberlain is overshadowed by Russell’s success when this era is remembered, though the legacy left behind by his statistical greatness has immortalized him in his own right. His dominance as a scorer remains unparalleled and he will always be the foremost member of the 50-point club.

As time goes on, more performances that are the “First since Wilt” are inevitable, but there will only ever be one Wilt Chamberlain–the man who rewrote the record books and left an indelible mark on them that will stand the test of time.

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