Top 5 players on NBA's points per game leader board as Luka Doncic qualifies for official ranking

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic put up a spectacular 50-point outing against the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day. Without Kyrie Irving, he carried the Mavs to a pulsating win on the road against the hosts that had Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in the lineup. Doncic now has six career 50-point games, more than any other Mavericks player combined.

Besides the incredible single-game output, Doncic also reached 10,000 career points, the fastest to reach the milestone among active NBA players. He became the sixth player to accomplish the feat before turning 25 years old. The Slovenian did it in 358 games, which is tied for seventh-fewest with Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo.

Doncic’s eruption pushed his career average to 28.04 PPG. Reaching 10K points has also made him a part of an enviable list.

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Here are Luka Doncic’s fellow all-time top 5 leaders in points per game in the NBA

#5 Elgin Baylor

“The Big Hurt” finished his Hall of Fame career averaging 27.36 points per game. Elgin Baylor was an All-Star in his first seven seasons in the NBA. During that span, he averaged 30.2 points, 15.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

Despite his staggering numbers, Baylor never won the MVP award or the biggest prize of them all, the NBA championship. Still, he was legendary for his scoring and rebounding.

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#4 Joel Embiid

The reigning MVP and the NBA’s back-to-back scoring champ is fourth on the list with 27.67 points per game. This season, he is averaging a staggering 35.0 PPG in 25 games. He could win the scoring belt for the third straight year.

Luka Doncic ranked second to Joel Embiid over the last two years in scoring. The Dallas Mavericks superstar also trails the Philly big man this season.

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#3 Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic’s 28.04 career PPG puts him third on the all-time list. The scary thing about Doncic’s game is he could still be improving. As good as he has been, he is still adding a few wrinkles to his game. This season, he has become better at catching and shooting with Kyrie Irving alongside him. Doncic’s post-up game has also become a staple of his game.

Out of the top 5 leaders in this category, Doncic is perhaps the most unique. He doesn’t have their athleticism and mobility. The Slovenian overwhelms defenders with the use of leverage, shiftiness, change of pace, smarts and mind-blowing skills.

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#2 Wilt Chamberlain

Almost every scoring category has Wilt Chamberlain somewhere on the list. He reached 10K points in 236 games, the least in NBA history. “The Big Dipper” averaged 30.07 PPG, the first player to hit the 30-point mark before retiring.

Many of Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring records are just out of reach even for Luka Doncic. The legendary big man’s 100-point game will likely be untouched. He has several more that will stay unbroken in the history of the NBA.

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#1 Michael Jordan

“His Airness” edged Wilt Chamberlain by a minuscule. Michael Jordan averaged 30.12 points per game to rule this category. Like Chamberlain, he was a scoring machine that terrorized opponents. The Chicago Bulls legend was also the second-fastest to hit 10K points behind one of the most dominant players of all time.

Jordan was a 10x scoring champ. He held the scoring title for seven straight years. During that stretch, he averaged 33.2 points on 51.8% shooting.

Michael Jordan’s scoring exploits weren’t empty as well. He was the biggest reason why the Bulls built a dynasty in the 1990s. Jordan’s ability to put buckets gave Chicago a 6-0 record in the NBA Finals.