Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell among biggest threats to break Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point NBA record
On March 2, 1962, in front of a small crowd of 4,124 fans at Hersheypark Arena, Wilt Chamberlain set what was then considered an unbreakable record. The Philadelphia Warriors center scored 100 points in a win over the New York Knicks, breaking his own single-game mark.
But is Chamberlain’s famous character Really not reachable? With the NBA in the midst of a goal-scoring explosion, the question doesn’t sound nearly as crazy as it has in years past.
There are 42 players on the league’s official rankings averaging more than 20 points per game. In 2012/13 there were only nine. Fourteen players currently have a usage percentage above 30. Ten years ago it was five.
Watching a 40 point game is no longer a surprise. In fact, there were three players (De’Aaron Fox, Kawhi Leonard, and Malik Monk) who reached that total in a game last month. Taking this one step further, this is the first season in NBA history to feature multiple players registered a 70-point game.
On the 61st anniversary of Chamberlain’s 100-point performance, The Sporting News staff selected a few players capable of challenging that sacred record. Let’s go through our choices.
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Which NBA Players Could Break Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-Point Record?
Damian Lillard, Trailblazer
Go ahead and call me for recency bias. I play with Lillard, who tied Donovan Mitchell’s season-high on Feb. 26 with 71 points against the Rockets. The seven-time All-Star had 22 field goals, 14 free throws and 13 3-pointers in just 39 minutes.
Lillard now has five 60-point games in his career. Only Chamberlain (32) and Kobe Bryant (six) are above him on this list. He is the only player in NBA history with 60 or more points and 10 or more 3-pointers in a single game – he’s done that twice already.
The Trail Blazers are already running it all through Lillard, so why not give him the freedom to go “dame time” for an entire game?
— Jordan Greer (@jordangreer42)
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
I’m playing with the math here and choosing the best 3 dot shooter.
It may come as a surprise that Curry’s career high is just 62 points – the only 60-point game of his career, which came in January 2021 – but few players can score as many goals as Steph, who did most 20-point quarters in NBA history!
While he doesn’t take many free throws or hit the edge quickly, isn’t it out of the question to knock down 20 3-pointers in a single game?
— Benyam Kidane (@BenyamKidane)
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
We answered the same question back in 2021, and my Lillard pick nearly paid off (somewhat) the other night. But since Jordan was already on Dame Time, let’s throw another name into the mix.
Hand me Edwards, who has the perfect blend of talent and unwavering confidence to try and pull it off. It sounds ridiculous because Edwards hasn’t even scored 50 points in a game, but he’s still only 21 years old.
He’s shown the ability to score goals and when he catches fire early on he has that kind of relentless mentality to keep shooting until someone stops him.
Edwards isn’t exactly a 3-pointer like Curry or Lillard to chase the record, but he’s buried 10 3s in a game in his career. Combine that with his talent for getting to the free-throw line and maybe he could threaten Kobe’s record 81 points, if not Wilt’s 100.
— Kyle Irving (@KyleIrv_)
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
I’m going with the guy who leads the league in goals and has the most 50-point games this season.
In addition to being a walking bucket, Doncic also checks some important boxes. First, it’s a pretty good 3-point shooter. Second, he lives at the free-throw line. Third, when it’s on fire, it feels like it can hit anything.
We’ve already seen Doncic drop 60 points in a game this season, doing so with 21 shots to 31 from the field, 2 to 6 from the 3-point line, and 16 to 22 from the free throw line. (He also had 21 rebounds and 10 assists in that game. Ridiculous, right?) He’s only 24, so I’ll go ahead and expect him to break that total at some point and maybe even challenge Wilt’s record.
– Scott Rafferty (@crabdribbles)
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
We’ve seen him score 71 points, so why not step it up a bit and rack up another 30 points?
Mitchell’s 71-point blast is his most prolific hit, but let’s not forget that during the 2020 NBA restart he went off the field twice for 50+ points in the same playoff series. If Mitchell gets going…he will go.
Looking back on Mitchell’s 71-point performance, he shot 22-34 from field, 7-15 from 3-point range, and 20-25 from the free-throw line. I know it was an overtime game and I’m probably oversimplifying things, but bear with me – if he’d knocked down 10 triples that game he’d be at 80 points.
Mitchell’s skills as a driver coupled with his shooting skills make him an ideal candidate to actually make this happen. Imagine knocking down 12 threes and converting 20 times on the line. It seems wild to think Mitchell would have 22 more field goals in him, but his talented teammates could make it happen.
He’s only 26 and about to prime… never say never.
– Gilbert McGregor (@GMcGregor21)