Big games in the NBA are pretty important.
Maybe not as important as Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made it out to be last night when he flipped out over losing the game ball, but they're important.
Last night, Antetokounmpo joined the 60-point club by scoring 64 points in Wednesday’s 140-126 victory over Indiana. He then flipped out because the Pacers didn't give him the game ball following the win.
But before he lost his mind, he joined an exclusive club. Scoring 20 points in an NBA game isn't easy. Doing that three times over the course of a game seems impossible. But a lot of guys have done it.
Here's a list of guys who are in the 60-point club.
Wilt Chamberlain
It's hard not to say he's the greatest of all time when the Philly native hit 60 points 32 times. In those games, he scored 2,107 points. Oh, and he averaged 26 rebounds in those games. Not a bad 32 days at the office.
Kobe Bryant
What is it about Philly guys? Bryant might have grown up in the suburbs, but he's a Philly guy. And he scored 60 points six times in his career. Bryant's final time scoring 60 was his final game when he hit the mark against Utah.
Damian Lillard
Now a member of the Bucks, Lillard hit 60 points five times in his career. He's averaging about 25 points per game on his new team.
Michael Jordan
The best basketball player of all time only scored 60 points four times. But Jordan did it differently. He didn't even average one three-point basket in those four games, so he did it by getting to the rim and getting to the line.
High school hoops:Here are the Shore high school boys basketball games to watch
James Harden
Like Jordan, James Harden scored 60 points four times in his career. This will likely be the only time Jordan will be compared to Harden. At least Harden finished those games without demanding a trade.
Elgin Baylor
The final player who has more than one career 60-point game is another great player. Baylor did it three times in 14 seasons. His games came before the 3-point shot was a thing.
One-time 60 point scorers
According to statmuse.com, here is a list of players who have hit the 60-point mark.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Donovan Mitchell
- Luka Doncic
- Kyrie Irving
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Jayson Tatum
- Bradley Beal
- Stephen Curry
- Kemba Walker
- Devin Booker
- Klay Thompson
- LeBron James
- Carmelo Anthony
- Gilbert Arenas
- Allen Iverson
- Tracy McGrady
- Shaquille O'Neal
- David Robinson
- Tom Chambers
- Larry Bird
- Bernard King
- George Mikan
- Karl Malone
- Joe Fulks
- Jerry West
- George Gervin
- Rick Barry
- David Thompson
- Pete Maravich
