5 all-time leaders in points scored off the bench in the NBA

We often hear about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of most points scored in NBA history (38,387 points).

The all-time record for points scored is one of the most coveted records in the league, and Abdul-Jabbar's mark has stood untouched since he passed Wilt Chamberlain's tally of 31,419 points on April 5th, 1984.

The overall points record in the NBA is well-documented. In this article, we will take a different look at the art of scoring in the league. We will give you a list of the five players with the most points scored coming off the bench.

5 players with the most points scored off the bench in NBA history

We will obviously take the number of points scored by the following players only in games which they did not start. The tallies will not be made by each player's points scored in their NBA career, but their points scored as a bench player.

Without further ado, let us start.

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#5 Ricky Pierce - 9,513 points off the bench in NBA career

Photo Credit: @Bucks on Twitter.

Ricky Pierce played for 16 years in the NBA and earned a couple of spots on the All-Star team. He played a total of 969 games and had 700 appearances off the bench.

In those 700 appearances, he scored 9,513 points for an average of 13.6 points in 22 minutes per game.

Ricky Pierce was balling out in 1989-90, dropping 23.0 points per game in just 29 minutes per game (ranked 3rd in the @NBA behind Michael Jordan and Karl Malone)!! Honorable Mention: https://t.co/nbp4aqjuE6 pic.twitter.com/XY6P2dnjKh

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 16, 2018

Coincidentally, Ricky Pierce and the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award arrived in the NBA in the same season, the 1982-83 campaign. Pierce went on to take the trophy home twice in his NBA career (with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1986-87 and 1989-90 seasons).

He played for the Detroit Pistons, San Diego Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Supersonics, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets and Charlotte Hornets.

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#4 Eddie Johnson - 9,569 points off the bench in NBA career

Edward Arnet Johnson.

The Kansas City Kings (now at Sacramento) drafted Eddie Johnson with the 29th overall pick of the 1981 NBA Draft.

The 6' 7'' forward was a good scorer for Kansas City early in his career. He then evolved into one of the best scorers off the bench in the NBA.

Johnson scored 9,569 points off the bench in the NBA. His career in the league lasted for 18 years, and he played in 1,199 games, coming off the bench 720 times.

He averaged 13 points in 22.5 minutes per game in his appearances off the bench. Johnson's bench-scoring earned him the Sixth Man of the Year award in the 1988-89 season, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns.

#3 Dell Curry - 11,147 points off the bench in NBA career

Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates in the locker room with father Dell Curry.

While Stephen and Seth Curry's shooting is impressive to a lot of NBA fans, to those who saw their father play, Steph and Seth are just continuing a family tradition of being amazing shooters.

Dell Curry played 1,083 NBA games in his 16-year career and started just 99 times. In 984 games off the bench, Curry scored 11,147 of his 12,670 career points.

Moreover, Curry made 40% of his three-point shots while coming off the bench. He played for the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.

His best years came between 1991 and 1997 with the Hornets. In that stretch, he played 458 games (49 starts) and averaged 15 points on 46/41/85 shooting splits. He earned the Sixth Man of the Year award in the 1993-94 season.

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#2 Jamal Crawford - 11,279 points off the bench in NBA career

Crawford with the LA Clippers in 2015.

Jamal Crawford is one of the premier sixth men in NBA history. He is one of two players to win a record three Sixth Man of the Year awards and scored 11,279 points in 894 appearances off the bench.

Crawford, who does not have a team right now, has played in 1,327 games in his NBA career (between 200 and 2020). He has started 433 games, and his role as a regular bench player started in 2009.

Crawford averages 12.6 points per game in his appearances off the bench (25.3 minutes per game). He won the Sixth Man of the Year award with the Atlanta Hawks once and with the LA Clippers twice.

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#1 Lou Williams - 12,479 points off the bench in NBA career

Lou Williams #23 of the LA Clippers shoots the ball over Gary Harris #14 of the Denver Nuggets.

Lou Williams has been a scoring machine off the bench since his third year in the NBA (2007-08 season with the Philadelphia 76ers). He tied Jamal Crawford's tally of three Sixth Man of the Year awards in the 2018-19 NBA season.

Moreover, Williams surpassed Dell Curry's tally of points scored off the bench on March 11th, 2019. He has extended the record to 12,479 points.

"I wouldn't want to do it with another group of guys."Lou Williams says it's his @LAClippers teammates that made tonight so special!🎤: @JaredSGreenberg pic.twitter.com/RMEDEku5pf

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 12, 2019

He averages 13.9 points per game in his appearances off the bench, which is also the highest average among the players on this list. Williams averages 23 minutes in his 895 games off the bench.

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