This article concerns the career achievements of Wilt Chamberlain, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer who holds numerous NBA records in scoring, rebounding and durability. Among others, he is the only player in NBA history to average 40 and 50 points in a season, score 100 points in a single game, and record over 2,000 rebounds in a single season. He also won seven scoring, nine field goal percentage, and 11 rebounding titles, in addition to an assist title. With an assortment of fadeaway and jump shots, his favorite one-hand finger-roll and powerful dunks in the low post, he scored 31,419 points, grabbed 23,924 rebounds, averaging 30.07 points (second-best all time behind Michael Jordan) and 22.9 rebounds (all-time leader) and was also very durable, standing on the hardwood an average 45.8 minutes.
For his feats, Chamberlain was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, elected into the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, chosen as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He was ranked No. 13 in ESPN's list "Top North American Athletes of the Century" in 1999, and No. 2 in Slams top 500 NBA players of all time in 2011, In honor of Chamberlain, his jerseys have been retired six times, by Overbrook High School, the University of Kansas, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Warriors, 76ers, and Lakers franchises.
List of records and feats Chamberlain holds 72 NBA records, 68 by himself. Among his records are several that are considered unbreakable, such as averaging 22.9 rebounds for a career or 50.4 points per game in a season, scoring 100 points or 55 rebounds in a single game, scoring 65 or more points 15 times, 50 or more points 118 times. During Chamberlain's time, defensive statistics like blocks and steals had not been recorded yet. According to Jack Ramsay, "Harvey [Pollack] said he used to tell one of his statisticians to keep track of Wilt's blocks in big games. ... One night, they got up to 25."Heisler, Mark: "Giants: Big Men Who Shook the NBA", page 14. Triumph Books (The first season blocked shots were officially recorded in the NBA was 1973/74, the season after Chamberlain retired as a player. The official NBA record of 17 blocks in a single game was set by Elmore Smith in 1973.)
NBA scoring records NBA record – Most points per game in a season (50.4 in the 1961–62 season) Also holds the next three spots with 44.8 in 1962–63, 38.4 in 1960–61 and 37.6 in 1959–60. NBA record – Most points in a season (4,029 in 1961–62) Also holds the second-highest record with 3,586 in 1962–63. NBA record – Most points scored in a game (100 vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962) Bam Adebayo second with 83, Kobe Bryant 3rd with 81. NBA record – Most points scored in a half (59 in the 2nd half vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962) Kobe Bryant is second with 55. NBA record – Most 50-point games in a season (45 in 1961–62) Chamberlain holds the next most with 30 in 1962–63. No other player has had more than 10. NBA record – Most 40-point games in a season (63 in 1961–62) Chamberlain holds the second-most with 52 in 1962–63. Michael Jordan is third with 37 in 1986–87. NBA record – Most consecutive seasons leading league in points per game (7) Record shared with Michael Jordan. NBA record – Most career regular-season 60-point games (32) Kobe Bryant is second with 6. NBA record – Most career regular-season 50-point games (118) Michael Jordan is second with 31. NBA record – Most career regular-season 40-point games (271) Michael Jordan is second with 173. NBA record – Most career regular-season 35-point games (381) Michael Jordan is second with 333. NBA record – Most consecutive 60-point games (4 from February 25-March 2, 1962) Chamberlain also holds the next three longest streaks with 3 in January 1962, 2 in December 1961 and 2 in December 1962. Chamberlain is the only player to ever score 60 points in back-to-back games. NBA record – Most consecutive 50-point games (7 from December 16–29, 1961) Chamberlain also holds the next three longest streaks with 6 in 1962, and 5 in 1961 and 1962. NBA record – Most consecutive 40-point games (14 from December 8–30, 1961 and January 11 – February 1, 1962) Chamberlain also has the next most with 10 from November 9–25, 1962. NBA record – Most consecutive 30-point games (65 from November 4, 1961 – February 22, 1962) James Harden is second with 32 in 2018-19 season. Chamberlain also is third with 31 in 1962
NBA record – Most consecutive games leading all players in scoring (40 in 1961–62 season) Bob McAdoo is second with 28. NBA record – Most consecutive games leading all teammates in scoring (116) NBA record – Most points per game by a rookie (37.6 in 1959–60) NBA record – Most points by a rookie (2,707 in 1959–60) NBA record – Most points by a rookie in a game (58 on January 25, 1960, and February 21, 1960) Rick Barry is second with 57. NBA record – Most consecutive 40-point games by a rookie (5 in late January 1960) Shared with Allen Iverson NBA record – Most points scored by a player in his first NBA game (43 on October 24, 1959, against the New York Knicks) Frank Selvy is second with 35. NBA record – Fewest games played to reach 15,000 points (358, achieved in 1964) Michael Jordan, at 460 games, took the second-fewest games. NBA record – Fewest games played to reach 20,000 points (499, achieved in 1966) Michael Jordan, at 620 games, took the second-fewest games. NBA record – Fewest games played to reach 25,000 points (691, achieved on February 23, 1968, against the Detroit Pistons) Michael Jordan, at 782 games, took the second-fewest games. NBA record – Fewest games played to reach 30,000 points (941, achieved on February 16, 1972, against the Phoenix Suns) Michael Jordan, at 960 games, took the second-fewest games. NBA record – Most consecutive seasons leading the league in field goals made (7 from 1959–60 through 1965–66) Shared with Michael Jordan NBA record – Most field goals made in a season (1,597 in 1961–62) Chamberlain holds the next 3 spots with 1,463 in 1962–63, 1,251 in 1960–61, and 1,204 in 1963–64 NBA record – Most field goals attempted in a season (3,159 in 1961–62) Chamberlain holds the next four highest with 2,770, 2,457, 2,311, and 2,298. NBA record – Most field goals made in a game (36 vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962) Chamberlain holds the next highest with 31, and is tied with Rick Barry at third with 30 NBA record – Most field goals attempted in a game (63 vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962) Chamberlain holds the next two most with 62 and 60. NBA record – Most field goals Made in a Half (22 in the 2nd half vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962) Rick Barry is second with 21. NBA record – Most field goals Attempted in a Half (37 vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962 (2nd half) George Gervin is second with 34. NBA record – Most field goals Attempted in a Quarter (21 in the 4th quarter vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962) NBA record – Most seasons leading the NBA in free throw attempts (9) NBA record – Most consecutive seasons leading the NBA in free throw attempts (6 from 1959–60 through 1964–65) NBA record – Most free throws Attempted in a season (1,363 in 1961–62) Chamberlain also holds the next four spots with 1,113, 1,054, 1,016, and 991. NBA playoff record – Most points by a rookie in a game (53 vs. the Syracuse Nationals on March 14, 1960) Pulled down a rookie playoff record 35 rebounds in the same game. Chamberlain also scored 50 as a rookie against the Boston Celtics on March 22, 1960. NBA playoff record – Most field goals in a seven-game series (113 vs. the St. Louis Hawks in 1964) NBA playoff record – Most field goals in a game (24 vs. the Syracuse Nationals on March 14, 1960) Record shared with John Havlicek and Michael Jordan NBA playoff record – Most field goal attempts in a game (48 vs. the Syracuse Nationals on March 22, 1962) Record shared with Rick Barry NBA playoff record – Most field goal attempts in a three-game series (104 vs. the Syracuse Nationals in 1960) NBA playoff record – Most field goal attempts in a five-game series (159 vs. the Syracuse Nationals in 1962) NBA All-Star Game record – Free throw attempts in a game (16 in 1962) Chamberlain also holds the second-most attempts in an All-Star Game with 15 in 1960.
Other selected scoring facts 2nd-highest career scoring average (30.07) – record held by Michael Jordan
Jordan scored 581 three-point field goals, which didn't exist during Chamberlain's time. If his three-pointers were turned into two-pointers, his career scoring average would be of 29.58. 3rd-most career regular-season 30-point games (515) – record held by LeBron James 2nd-most consecutive 20-point games (126) – record held by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
During the streak, Shai missed a total 18 games. Wilt hasn't missed a single game during his.
Chamberlain also holds the 3rd-most with 92. 2nd-most free throws made in a season (835 in 1961–62) – record held by Jerry West 2nd-most Free Throws Made in a Game (28 vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962) – record held by Bam Adebayo A feat shared with Adrian Dantley 3rd-most free throws attempted in a game (34 vs. the St. Louis Hawks on February 22, 1962) – record held by Adebayo Chamberlain also holds fourth place with 32 on March 2, 1962 2nd-fewest games played to reach 31,000 points (1,115, achieved on February 1, 1973, against the Phoenix Suns) – record held by Michael Jordan, at 1,111 games. 4th-most points in an NBA All-Star Game (42 in 1962) – record held by Jayson Tatum (55 in 2023) 2nd Most points held by Anthony Davis (52 in 2017) 3rd Most points held by Stephen Curry (50 in 2022) 2nd-most Playoff games with at least 50 points: 4 – record held by Michael Jordan (8);
All of Chamberlain's performances came in regulation time; two of Jordan's 50-point games came in overtime. Both of them scored a maximum 56 points in 48-minute playoff games; All of Chamberlain's performances resulted in team wins; two of Jordan's 50-point games ended in a loss; Chamberlain is the only player to score at least 50 points in two different Conference/Division Finals games; Chamberlain is the only player to score at least 50 points in an elimination game (a feat he accomplished three times). 2nd-most playoff games with at least 45 points: 8 – record held by Michael Jordan; 3rd most points in a Playoff game: 56—record held by Michael Jordan; When considered only Playoff regulation games, this is the 2nd highest scoring performance, and the record belongs to Elgin Baylor, with 61 in 1962. 3rd-most points in an NBA All-Star Game half (23 in 1962) – record held by Anthony Davis; 2nd place held by Glen Rice; 3rd place shared with Tom Chambers 3rd-most field goals made in an NBA All-Star Game (17 in 1962) – record held by Anthony Davis; 2nd place held by Blake Griffin; 3rd place shared with Kevin Garnett and Michael Jordan
NBA rebounding records NBA record – Career total rebounds (23,924) NBA record – Career rebounds per game (22.9) NBA record – Most seasons leading the league in rebounds (11) NBA record – Most seasons with 1,000 or more rebounds (13) NBA record – Rebounds per game in a season (27.2) Chamberlain also holds the next two highest averages with 27.0 in 1959–60 and 25.7 in 1961–62) Chamberlain and Bill Russell occupy the top 18 spots on this list (9 each). NBA record – Total Rebounds in a season (2,149 in 1960–1961) Chamberlain also holds the next six highest totals. NBA record – Rebounds in a game (55, Philadelphia Warriors vs. Boston Celtics, November 24, 1960) Besides Bill Russell (11 times, including 3 playoff games, max of 51) only Nate Thurmond (42) and Jerry Lucas (40) have ever gotten at least 40. NBA record – Most rebounds per game by a rookie in a season (27.0) NBA record – Most rebounds by a rookie in a season (1,941) NBA record – Most rebounds by a rookie in a game (45 on February 6, 1960)