Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Total Points Per Season: 38 Years Of Holding The All-Time Scoring Record
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points during his career. He holds the NBA all-time scoring record for more than 38 years.
Credit: Fadeaway World
As it stands right now, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time scoring leader in NBA history with 38,387 total points scored in his 20-year NBA career. The record has stood for over 38 years, and as we write this, LeBron James is just 89 points away from making NBA history. For obvious reasons, LeBron and Kareem will always be linked to each other because of this incredible feat and their standing amongst the all-time basketball greats.
One of the more interesting storylines surrounding LeBron's passing of Kareem is the reported friction between the two stars. When Kareem passed Wilt initially, they had a deep and heated war of words, with Wilt showing real disdain for his record being broken. That is not the case between Kareem and LeBron. Recently, Kareem stated that not only is he happy for LeBron but that he hopes James' record stands even longer than his record did. The ultimate sign of respect between two of the best players to ever play the game.
Just as I wrote about LeBron James' total points per season, the goal today is to honor Kareem for the total points he scored each season in what could be the final time we speak about him as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Kareem’s unbelievable career was capped off with the record as well as six MVP awards, 19 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA Team selections, six NBA championships, and two Finals MVP awards. It is time to honor one of the greatest players in NBA history for the scoring champion he has been for over three decades.
Here are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total points per season.
1969-70 Season - 2,361 Points
Stats: 28.8 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 4.1 APG
In the 1969 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks made the easy decision to select Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the first overall pick. Kareem would have a sensational individual season in Milwaukee, cruising to the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. He would lead the NBA in total points scored with over 2,300 points, and he would grab 1,190 total rebounds while being a defensive beast around the rim.
The Bucks heavily relied on Kareem, with his second-best option Flynn Robinson contributing 21.8 PPG and Jon McGlocklin averaging 17.6 PPG. The Bucks would finish 56-26 on the year and second in the NBA’s Eastern Division. In the playoffs, Kareemand the Bucks would make easy work of the 76ers in the first round, defeating them in five games. Kareem led the way with 36.2 PPG and 15.8 RPG. In the Division Finals, the Bucks had met their match, losing in five games to the eventual champion New York Knicks despite 34.2 PPG and 17.8 RPG from Kareem.
1970-71 Season - 2,596 Points
Stats: 31.7 PPG, 16.0 RPG, 3.3 APG
Kareem just kept getting better in his second season in the NBA, having arguably one of the best seasons of his career. He would lead the NBA in both total points scored and win the scoring title with 2,596 total points and 31.7 PPG. Kareem would win his first MVP award in 1971, leading the Bucks to a 66-16 record. He would record 10 games with at least 40 points scored and recorded two 53-point games this season as well.
During the playoffs, Karem just kept getting better with the addition of new point guard Oscar Robertson. The Bucks would take down the Warriors in five games during round one of the playoffs and then the Lakers in the same amount of games in the Western Conference Finals. This set up a date with the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals. Kareem and the Bucks would sweep the Bullets, while Kareem averaged 27.0 PPG and 18.5 RPG for the series. It would be the first Finals MVP award win of his career.
1971-72 Season - 2,822 Points
Stats: 34.8 PPG, 16.6 RPG, 4.6 APG
Kareem’s third season marked another year that he led the NBA in both total points and PPG with 2,822 points and a 34.8 PPG average. He would be honored with his second MVP award as he led the Bucks to a 63-19 record. Kareem would record 19 games with at least 40 points scored and five games with at least 50 points during the season. This included his career-high of 55 points and two more games with 53 points as well.
In the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Bucks would make easy work of the Warriors once again in five games, with Kareem leading the way with 22.8 PPG and 19.0 RPG. Teammate Bob Dandridge added 24.2 PPG as well. In the second round, the Bucks would fall to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games. Kareem and Wilt Chamberlain battled the entire series, but the Lakers got the win despite 33.7 PPG and 17.5 RPG from Kareem.
1972-73 Season - 2,292 Points
Stats: 30.2 PPG, 16.1 RPG, 5.0 APG
The fourth season of Kareem’s career marked the first time that he was not the NBA’s leader in total points scored. He was still able to accumulate over 2,000 points for the fourth straight year and lead the Bucks to another 60-win season at 60-22. The Bucks had just one other scorer with over 20.0 PPG in Bob Danridge, and two other scorers in double-figures in Oscar Robertson and Lucius Allen.
For the 1972-73 season, Kareem would record 33 games with at least 30 points and seven games with at least 40 points scored. Unfortunately for the Bucks, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 1973 by the Golden State Warriors. Kareem led his team with 22.8 PPG and 16.2 RPG and even got 21.2 PPG from Rpbetson as support, but it was not enough to overcome the well-balanced attack from the Warriors.
1973-74 Season - 2,191 Points
Stats: 27.0 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 3.5 BPG
The 1974 NBA season marked the fifth straight year that Kareem would record at least 2,000 total points. It would also be the first season that the league recorded defensive stats, and it was clear that Kareem was among the best in the NBA on that end of the floor as well. Kareem would win his third MVP award for the 1974 season, leading the Bucks to a 59-23 record as the only player on the team that averaged over 20.0 PPG.
The bucks would draw the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs and defeated them in five games, led by Kareem’s 29.6 PPG, 18.0 RPG,2.4 SPG, and 3.2 BPG. In the Conference Finals, the Bucks would sweep the Chicago Bulls with a dominant 34.8 PPG and 19.5 RPG from Kareem. The Bucks would find themselves in a battle with the Celtics in the NBA Finals in a series that would go seven games. Boston prevailed in the end despite a Herculean effort from Kareem with 32.6 PPG, 12.1 RPG, and 2.1 BPG.
1974-75 Season - 1,949 Points
Stats: 30.0 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 3.3 BPG
The 1975 season marked the first time in Kareem’s career that he did not record 2,000 points over the course of the year. It would, however, mark the first time that Kareem claimed a blocks title in his career and his fourth season of at least 30.0 PPG. Kareem would lead the Bucks to a 33-49 record and the first time that Kareem would miss the playoffs in his young career.
For Kareem, the departure of Oscar Robertson before the 1975 season and the Bucks' poor play on the court was enough to push him elsewhere. In one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, he would be sent out west to join the Lakers in exchange for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters. The beginning of the next chapter in Kareem’s career was underway.
1975-76 Season - 2,275 Points
Stats: 27.7 PPG, 16.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 4.1 BPG
Kareem's first season with the Lakers was a historic one for the agile big man. Kareem would get back to his 2,000-point ways as well as taking home his first career rebounding title and his second consecutive blocks title. Kareem would win his fourth MVP award leading the Lakers to a 40-42 record. Unfortunately for the team, it was not enough to make an appearance in the NBA playoffs.
There were many reasons the Lakers missed the postseason in 1976. For one, Gail Goodrich was the team’s second-leading scorer with 19.5 PPG, and only three other players finished with lower-end double-digit scoring seasons. For the Lakers, this did mark the beginning of a new era as Kareem and the team would never miss the postseason again with Kareem in a Lakers uniform over the next 13 seasons.
1976-77 Season - 2,152 Points
Stats: 26.2 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 3.2 BPG
Back to their winning ways, the Lakers would have a great season in 1977 compared to their disappointing 1976 campaign. Kareem would miss no games on the year and did enough on both sides of the ball to claim a historic fifth MVP award. This time, the Lakers would finish with a 53-29 record on the season and win the Pacific Division title. Kareem accumulated 24 games with at least 30 points and just one game with over 40 points, but the Lakers were winning, and that is all that mattered.
The Lakers received a first-round bye due to their regular season efforts and matched up with the Warriors once again in the second round. The series was a great one that went seven games, with the Lakers prevailing in the end. Kareem averaged 37.1 PPG, 18.7 RPG, 2.0 SPG, and 3.6 BPG to help the Lakers get the win. The story was the opposite during the Conference Finals as the Lakers ran into the buzzsaw that was the Portland Trail Blazers. In an absolute beatdown, Portland swept L.A. and went on to win the NBA championship despite Kareem’s 30.3 PPG and 16.0 RPG in the series.
1977-78 Season - 1,600 Points
Stats: 25.8 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 3.0 BPG
The 1978 season for Kareem was a unique one, to say the least. It was the first time that Kareem would not be named an All-Star after missing 20 games. It would also mark the first time that he played under 70 games in a season in his career up to that point and the only time he ever did so in 20 seasons in the NBA. The Lakers would once again make the playoffs behind a 45-37 season under head coach Jerry West.
In a three-game series to kick things off in the playoffs, the Lakers would face the Seattle SuperSonics, The Lakers and Seattle would split the first two games of the series heading toward a decisive Game Three. In the game, Kareem led all scorers with 31 points but it was not enough as the Sonics would win the series and go on to represent the West in the NBA Finals.
1978-79 Season - 1,903 Points
Stats: 23.8 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 4.0 BPG
For the second season in a row in 1979, Kareem finished with less than 2,000 total points on the season. He would bring home his third career blocks title averaging 4.0 BPG and blocking 316 total shots. Kareem would make his way back to the All-Star Game and lead the Lakers to a 47-35 record, once again qualifying them for the NBA playoffs.
In the first round of the playoffs, Kareem and the Lakers would take care of the Denver Nuggets in a three-game series that saw Abdul-Jabbar average 28.0 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 5.0 BPG. Unfortunately for the Lakers, they ran into the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round who had the Lakers' number for the second year in a row. This time, Seattle would dismiss the Lakers in five games and go on to win the NBA championship.
1979-80 Season - 2,034 Points
Stats: 24.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 3.4 BPG
The 1979-80 season marked yet another new chapter in the Lakers' history as they ushered in the Showtime era with the addition of Magic Johnson through the NBA Draft. Little did everyone know that Magic and Kareem would go on to become one of the greatest duos in NBA history. After a somewhat slow start, the Lakers would end up winning 60 games in 1980 with Magic being a perfect addition to the team and Kareem winning his sixth MVP award, an NBA record.
After a first-round bye in the NBA playoffs, Kareem, Magic, and the Lakers would take care of the Phoenix Suns in five games in the second round of the playoffs. In the Conference Finals, the Lakers would finally defeat the Seattle SuperSonics, dismissing them in five games as well. This set up a date with the 76ers led by Dr. J in the NBA Finals. In that series, Kareem would dominate the first five games averaging 33.4 PPG, 13.6 RPG, and 4.6 BPG. An injury would leave Kareem sidelined for Game Six, paving the way for an incredible performance from Magic to seal the NBA championship and claim the Finals MVP award.
1980-81 Season - 2,095 Points
Stats: 26.2 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.9 BPG
The duo of Magic and Kareem headed into 1981 as defending champions for the first time but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Once again, Kareem was a 2,000-point scorer for the 1981 season and recorded 22 30-point games as well as two 40-point games. The Lakers would go on to win 54 games and once again make their way to the NBA playoffs.
In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers would draw the Houston Rockets in the first round led by Moses Malone. After splitting the first two games, they headed into a decisive Game Three once again. The Rockets would pull out a three-point win in Game Three, thrusting the Lakers from the playoffs. Kareem gave a solid effort with 26.7 PPG, 16.7 RPG, 1.0 SPG, and 2.7 BPG.
1981-82 Season - 1,818 Points
Stats: 23.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.7 BPG
In 1982, while his offensive production took a slight dip, Kareem was still as elite as they come on the defensive side of the ball. Despite Kareem’s slip in offense, the Lakers still finished the season with 57 wins and another berth in the NBA playoffs. Kareem finished the season with 19 30-point games and one game with over 40 points scored as well.
The playoffs were a whole different ballgame for the Lakers as they drew a first-round by and a matchup with the Suns in the second round. The Lakers would sweep the Suns behind 20.3 PPG and 3.5 BPG from Kareem. In the Conference Finals, the Lakers would sweep the San Antonio Spurs as well with Kareem contributing 24.0 PPG and 3.0 BPG. In the NBA Finals, the Lakers would defeat the 76ers in six games and although he didn’t win Finals MVP, Kareem still added 18.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 3.2 BPG.
1982-83 Season - 1,722 Points
Stats: 21.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.2 BPG
Once again in 1983, Kareem would take a slight dip in production on the offensive end of the ball but still hold up his end on defense. The Lakers were still among the best teams in basketball as they would go on to win 58 games this season led by Magic and Kareem. His skyhook was still as deadly as ever and Kareem was still among the best big men in the game. This season, Kareem would register just 11 games with 30 points or more and 51 games with at least 20 points.
Kareem was clearly saving his best performances for the NBA playoffs. Kareem would lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals once again for a matchup with the 76ers who were armed with Moses Maline and Julius Erving this time around. The Sixers would sweep the Lakers in the Finals with a dominant performance from Malone although Kareem led the Lakers in scoring. He would also lead the entire playoffs in total points scored despite the loss in the big series at the end.
1983-84 Season - 1,717 Points
Stats: 21.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.8 BPG
Although he was clearly beginning to enter his decline by 1983-84, Kareem was still mightily valuable to the Lakers this season. He was still a 20.0 PPG scorer armed with a skyhook that was as timeless as any other move in NBA history. He was also still an avid rebounder and shot-blocker who impacted the game in a number of ways besides his scoring.
The Los Angeles Lakers were once again looked at as favorites heading into the NBA playoffs and would make good on that assumption. They swept the Kings in the first round and defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the second round. In the Conference Finals, the Lakers would defeat the Suns in six games for yet another berth in the NBA Finals. However, the Finals would be a slugfest that went seven games with their rival, the Boston Celtics, taking home the trophy. Kareem was once again the Lakers’ leading scorer with 26.6 PPG in the series.
1984-85 Season - 1,735 Points
Stats: 22.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.1 BPG
Kareem would have a bounce-back season of sorts in 1984-85 as he put up better numbers than in the previous two seasons. The Lakers were determined to prove that their runs to the Finals were not for naught as they fought their way to 62 wins this year. This season, Kareem would post 14 games with 30 points or more and add in one 40-point game after failing to record any in the previous season.
Once again, the Lakers headed into the playoffs as a favorite to make it to the NBA Finals. The Lakers would go 7-1 over their first two playoff series in the playoffs, sweeping the Suns and defeating Portland in five games. In the Conference Finals, the Lakers would also defeat the Nuggets in five games to set up another matchup with the Celtics in the NBA Finals. This time, it would be the Lakers who would emerge victorious with Kareem grabbing Finals MVP honors. He averaged 25.7 PPG and 9.0 RPG for the series to claim the award.
1985-86 Season - 1,846 Points
Stats: 23.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.6 BPG
In the 1986 season, Kareem would prove that he was not ready to be done yet even at 38 years old. He averaged even better numbers than the 1985 season, scoring the most PPG that he had since 1982. He recorded 13 30-point games and even added three games with at least 40 points to his resume. The Lakers would go on to win 62 games once again as the duo of Magic and Karem was still among the most unstoppable in basketball.
The Lakers would make easy work of their first two playoff opponents, taking care of the Spurs and Mavericks with relative ease. In the Conference Finals, it was clear they had met their match facing off against the monstrous frontcourt of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson with the Rockets. The Lakers would lose in five games and it was once again back to the drawing board as Kareem headed into his age 39 season.
1986-87 Season - 1,366 Points
Stats: 17.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Age had begun to clearly take its toll on Kareem. For the first time in his NBA career, Kareem would average less than 20.0 PPG in a season and total less than 1,500 points. He was still an impactful player but nowhere near what he was in his prime. The Lakers did not suffer as they would go on to win 65 games to run away with the West and make a strong push heading into the playoffs.
The Lakers would lose just one game en route to another berth in the NBA Finals in 1987. They swept the Nuggets in the first round and defeated the Warriors in five games in the second round. They would defeat the SuperSonics by way of a sweep in the Conference Finals to make way for yet another date with the Celtics in the NBA Finals. The series would go just six games with the Lakers winning their fourth title of the decade and Magic Johnson winning MVP. Kareem would contribute 21.7 PPG for the series, along with 2.5 BPG.
1987-88 Season - 1,165 Points
Stats: 14.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG
At 40 years old, it was clear that Kareem was ready to hang up his shoes in 1988. That is of course, not without making one last mega impact on the game before he did. Despite his age, he would play 80 games in 1988 and was still a scorer of above 1,000 points per season while blocking 1.1 shots per game. Once again, the Lakers were a 62-win team that was steamrolling their way to the NBA playoffs.
This time, the Lakers would be pushed to their limits en route to another berth in the NBA Finals. After sweeping the Spurs in the first round, the Lakers would tough out two seven-game series with the Jazz and Mavericks. In the NBA Finals, they were set to meet the hated Bad Boy Pistons from Detroit for a serious Finals matchup. The Lakers would emerge as champions for the fifth time in the decade, taking down Detroit in seven games. James Worthy would be the Finals MVP while Kareem lent a helping hand with 13.1 PPG.
1988-89 Season - 748 Points
Stats: 10.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG
The final season of Kareem’s career was a way for the entire league to pay homage to one of the game’s greatest players. Kareem was honored on every road trip and his final home game in Los Angeles with hilarious gifts and honors with respect from his peers for the last 20 seasons. Kareem was still able to appear in 74 games for the Lakers this season and average over 1.1 BPG, making him one of the very few players to average at least 1.0 BPG for every year of his career.
As Kareem’s career came to an end, the Los Angeles Lakers were still in the running for the ultimate sendoff with an NBA championship. They would sweep Portland in the first round of the playoffs and defeat Seattle in five games in the following round. They found themselves back in the NBA Finals for a rematch from the previous season with the Pistons. This time, the sendoff for Kareem was cut short as the Pistons swept the Lakers and Kareem rode off into the sunset as one of the most accomplished and greatest players in NBA history.
Career Total - 38,387 Points (24.6 PPG)
There are a few conclusions to draw from the way that Kareem became the NBA's all-time leading scorer. The first is that he was a much more dominant scorer with the Milwaukee Bucks early on in his career and a steady and consistent scorer with the Lakers later on. In six seasons with the Bucks, Kareem won both of his career scoring titles and averaged 30.4 PPG on 54.7% shooting.
As for his time with the Lakers, Kareem averaged 22.1 PPG over the course of 14 seasons but shot the ball slightly better at 56.7% from the field. With Milwaukee, Kareem's offense led to one NBA championship and two NBA Finals appearances. With the Lakers, he contributed to five NBA championships and eight total Finals appearances. With a dominant scorer like Kareem, he was bound to become a champion no matter where he went putting up the offensive numbers that he was on a nightly basis.
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