In basketball, points are accumulated through free throws or field goals.[1] The National Basketball League's (NBL) scoring title was awarded to the player with the most total points in a given season.[2] [3]
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Bobby McDermott holds the NBL all-time record for career points scored (3,583), while fellow Hall of Famer George Mikan holds the single season points (1,195) and points per game (21.3) records. McDermott earned the most points spanning an eight-year NBL career, but Mikan only played two seasons and set both records during 1948–49, the final year the league existed.
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||||
Denotes player who won the MVP Award that year | |||||||
Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player had been the scoring leader up to and including that season | ||||||
G | Guard | F | Forward | C | Center |
Season | Player | Pos. | class=unsortable | Team | Total points | Games played | PPG | Field goals made | Free throws made | class=unsortable | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1937–38 | C | Oshkosh All-Stars | 210 | 13 | 16.2 | 83 | 44 | [4] | |||
1938–39 | (2) | C | Oshkosh All-Stars | 334 | 28 | 11.9 | 124 | 86 | |||
1939–40 | (3) | C | Oshkosh All-Stars | 361 | 28 | 12.9 | 111 | 139 | |||
1940–41 | G/F | Akron Goodyear Wingfoots | 265 | 24 | 11.0 | 98 | 69 | [5] | |||
1941–42 | G/F | Toledo Jim White Chevrolets | 406 | 22 | 18.5 | 143 | 120 | [6] | |||
1942–43 | G | Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons | 316 | 23 | 13.7 | 132 | 52 | [7] | |||
1943–44 | G/F | Cleveland Chase Brassmen | 323 | 18 | 17.9 | 113 | 97 | [8] | |||
1944–45 | (2) | G/F | Cleveland Allmen Transfers | 607 | 30 | 20.2 | 223 | 161 | |||
1945–46 | F/C | Oshkosh All-Stars | 473 | 34 | 13.9 | 186 | 101 | [9] | |||
1946–47 | G/F | Rochester Royals | 632 | 44 | 14.4 | 228 | 176 | [10] | |||
1947–48 | C | Minneapolis Lakers | 1,195 | 56 | 21.3 | 406 | 383 | [11] | |||
1948–49 | C | Tri-Cities Blackhawks | 899 | 64 | 14.0 | 301 | 297 | [12] |
Rank | Player | Pos. | Team(s) played for (years) | Total points | Games played | PPG | Field goals made | Free throws made | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | G | Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1941–1946) Chicago American Gears (1946–1947) Sheboygan Red Skins (1947) Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1947–1948) Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) | 3,583 | 287 | 12.48 | 1,465 | 653 | ||
2 | C | Oshkosh All-Stars (1937–1949) | 3,221 | 322 | 10.00 | 1,045 | 1,131 | ||
3 | F/C | Oshkosh All-Stars (1941–1944, 1945–1949) | 2,600 | 238 | 10.92 | 906 | 788 | [13] | |
4 | C | Sheboygan Red Skins (1938–1949) | 2,490 | 321 | 7.76 | 955 | 580 | [14] | |
5 | G/F | Buffalo Bisons (1937–1938) Rochester Royals (1945–1948) Syracuse Nationals (1948–1949) | 2,326 | 187 | 12.44 | 797 | 732 | ||
6 | C | Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1946–1949) | 2,292 | 168 | 13.64 | 783 | 726 | ||
7 | F/C | Chicago Bruins (1939–1942) Chicago Studebaker Flyers (1942–1943) Sheboygan Red Skins (1943–1946) Syracuse Nationals (1946–1948) | 2,281 | 267 | 8.54 | 880 | 521 | [15] | |
8 | F/C | Oshkosh All-Stars (1940–1941, 1945–1948) Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) | 2,140 | 209 | 10.24 | 796 | 548 | ||
9 | F/C | Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1941–1942) Rochester Royals (1945–1947) Indianapolis Kautskys (1947–1948) Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) | 2,138 | 202 | 10.58 | 763 | 612 | [16] | |
10 | F/C | Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1940–1941) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1942–1948) | 1,949 | 226 | 8.62 | 668 | 613 | [17] | |
11 | G/F | Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1937–1939) Oshkosh All-Stars (1939–1944) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1944–1946) Anderson Duffey Packers (1946–1948) Waterloo Hawks (1948–1949) | 1,935 | 376 | 5.15 | 765 | 405 | [18] | |
12 | G/F | Detroit Eagles (1940–1941) Chicago American Gears (1945–1947) Flint Dow A.C.'s (1947–1948) Syracuse Nationals (1948–1949) | 1,810 | 165 | 10.96 | 675 | 460 | [19] | |
13 | G/F | Chicago American Gears (1944–1947) Flint Dow A.C.'s (1947–1948) Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) | 1,765 | 212 | 8.33 | 681 | 403 | [20] | |
14 | C | Chicago American Gears (1946–1947) Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1948) | 1,608 | 81 | 19.85 | 553 | 502 | ||
15 | C | Indianapolis Kautskys (1945–1948) Rochester Royals (1948) | 1,606 | 123 | 13.06 | 563 | 480 | [21] | |
16 | F/C | Anderson Duffey Packers (1946–1949) | 1,600 | 165 | 9.70 | 544 | 512 | [22] | |
17 | G | Rochester Royals (1945–1948) | 1,500 | 138 | 10.86 | 616 | 268 | [23] | |
18 | G/F | Sheboygan Red Skins (1938–1947) | 1,442 | 222 | 6.49 | 598 | 246 | [24] | |
19 | G | Indianapolis Kautskys (1945–1946) Toledo Jeeps (1946–1948) Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) | 1,434 | 148 | 9.68 | 449 | 536 | [25] | |
20 | F/C | Sheboygan Red Skins (1947–1949) | 1,425 | 120 | 11.87 | 516 | 393 | [26] | |
21 | G/F | Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1947–1949) | 1,367 | 124 | 11.02 | 523 | 321 | [27] | |
22 | C | Toledo Jeeps (1947–1948) Waterloo Hawks (1948–1949) | 1,351 | 120 | 11.25 | 518 | 315 | [28] | |
23 | G | Cleveland White Horses (1938–1939) Detroit Eagles (1939–1941) Sheboygan Red Skins (1942–1943) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1943–1946) | 1,324 | 162 | 8.17 | 451 | 422 | [29] | |
24 | F/C | Oshkosh All-Stars (1943–1948) Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) | 1,319 | 247 | 5.34 | 500 | 319 | [30] | |
25 | G/F | Sheboygan Red Skins (1944–1945) Toledo Jeeps (1946–1948) | 1,302 | 104 | 12.51 | 499 | 304 | [31] | |