The NBA’s Greatest Scorers (part 2)

A continued look at the great scoring machines in NBA history.

In the NBA, scorers bring the magic to the game. They make us laugh, cry and touch our hearts in a way which defines sport. Some of the best sporting memories in basketball involve watching scorers defy all odds while celebrating their feats with family and friends. Scorers such as Jordan, West, Bryant, not only made US gambling news, but used their talents to reach inside of us and imprint their names upon our souls.

• Jerry West’s silhouette was used at the NBA logo

• Kobe Bryant was the youngest player to get reach 30,000 points
• Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the all-time leader in total points scored in NBA history

Whether it’s Oscar Robertson, the triple double master, or Dominique Wilkins “the human highlight film”, a scorer is something people want to relate too. When you look at Dr. J take the ball from one end of the court to the other, it represents the struggle of the common man who takes his plight and by all means at his disposal get the ball into the hope and save mankind. There have been many and we shall look at them.

Jerry West and Kobe Bryant help define the L.A Lakers

Jerry West is beloved by many. “Mr. Clutch” was an all-around great players with a wide range of methods to score including lay ups and mid range jumpers. Much of West’s career was before the installation of the three-point line which may have affected his numbers if he were to play in the modern age. Maybe in today’s time he wouldn’t have been a sure of a bet using online sportsbooks in the US.

Spending his entire career with the LA Lakers, West’s silhouette was used at the NBA logo and still remains to this day. West was elected into the NBA All-Star team 14 teams making MVP in 1972 where he had a scored an average of 46.3 points per game. West also made history by being the only player named as a Finals MVP even though his team lost. West was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers is dominant force on the planet and the NBA. Bryant may be end up being one of the finest scorers of his day or any other. The man has a multitude of scoring techniques. Bryant is very consistent and has been known to routinely carry his team to victory after victory. There hasn’t been a more rudimentary shooter since Jordan and Kobe’s three-point percentage is even higher at 34%.

Bryant, who went into NBA out of high school, has been selected to every NBA All-star game since his second season. His entire career with the LA Lakers has brought them five championship titles. The 15-time member of the All-NBA team was the youngest player to get reach 30,000 points and hold the second highest amount of points scored in a single game of 81 against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.

Abdul Jabbar’s longevity and the entrance of “His Airness” Michael Jordan

Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the all-time leader in total points scored in NBA history. It has helped that Jabbar has been playing for 20 years. In his last three years, he still averaged 17, 14 and 10 points per game in scoring. The man built a large scoring total out of his longevity in the sport. Jabbar’s “sky hook” shot is one of the hallmarks to his game. The move, practically unable to be guarded, has reaped untold scoring fortune for Jabbar.

After winning 71 consecutive games in high school he went to UCLA and won three consecutive NCAA championships and was voted Most Valuable Player three times. Jabbar was a six-time NBA MVP who helped win six championships for the LA Lakers. The 19-time NBA All-star retired in 1989 with 38, 387 points, 1,560 games played, 15, 837 field goal attempts, 3,189 blocked shots and 9,394 defensive rebounds.

Michael Jordan is considered the greatest player in NBA history. Scoring is only one of the many reasons for his supremacy. Jordan could do everything on a court and brought the game to heights nobody else has seen in an individual. When it was harder for him to dominate the pain, Jordan adjusted his game making himself and outside threat. He was able to set the record for most 3-pointers in a postseason game. Jordan was a safe bet inside or outside the confines of US gambling laws.

The NBA website stated that “Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed players of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980’s and 1990’s.” Jordan entered the league early and became known for his incredible dunks earning the nickname “Air Jordan.” He won his first NBA championship in 1991 and five more with a year of retirement in between.