On March 3, 2021, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James scored a career-high 72 points in a 125-120 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He shot 23-of-35 from the field, including 7-of-10 from three-point range, and made 19-of-20 free throws.
James also added eight rebounds, five assists and three steals over 43 minutes of action. He passed Kobe Bryant (60 points in 2009) for the highest single-game scoring record in Lakers’ franchise history.
It was the first time in NBA history that two players age 36 or older scored 30-plus points in the same game, with James and Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan (30 points) each doing so.
James became the second-oldest player in NBA history to score 70 points in a game, behind only Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan (38 years old) who scored 69 points in 1996. It was James’ 10th consecutive game with 25 points or more, the longest such streak of his career.
This game stands as one of the most memorable performances of James’ career and further cemented his place as one of the greatest to ever take the court.
Has any NBA player scored 69 points?
Yes, two NBA players have scored 69 points in a single game. The first was Walt Bellamy, who scored 69 points on November 16, 1968 for the Chicago Packers against the Los Angeles Lakers. The second was Kobe Bryant, who scored 69 points on March 16, 2007 for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Both times, the player’s team was victorious. Bryant’s 69-point game was particularly memorable since it was the third-highest scoring game in NBA history, and he single-handedly outscored Portland in the game’s fourth quarter.
Who are the 70 point scorers?
The 70 point scorers are a collection of players throughout the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) who have achieved a single game points total of 70 or more. This historical list of 70 point scorers is comprised of stars from across the NHL who, on select occasions, have been able to put up some of the most impressive single-game offensive numbers in league history.
The most famous player to have achieved 70 points in a single game is, undoubtedly, Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky, nicknamed “The Great One” for his record-breaking play, achieved the mark twice in his illustrious career.
Other legendary NHL stars to have achieved the feat, albeit on fewer occasions, include Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Phil Esposito, Guy Lafleur and Bobby Orr.
Those players that have achieved the 70 point mark in NHL history are listed below, arranged by the number of single-game 70-point performances:
– Wayne Gretzky (2)
– Mario Lemieux (2)
– Jaromir Jagr (1)
– Phil Esposito (1)
– Guy Lafleur (1)
– Bobby Orr (1)
– Paul Coffey (1)
– Adam Oates (1)
– Peter Stastny (1)
– Denis Potvin (1)
– Steve Yzerman (1)
– Bobby Hull (1)
– Joe Thornton (1)
– Jari Kurri (1)
– Pat LaFontaine (1)
– Claude Lemieux (1)
– Darryl Sittler (1)
– Daniel Briere (1)
– Nikita Kucherov (1)
– Sidney Crosby (1)
– Patrick Kane (1)
– Evgeni Malkin (1)
How many players dropped 70?
There have been 20 players in the history of professional basketball to record a 70-point game, including Wilt Chamberlain with the most at six times. The other players who have achieved a 70-point game are Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor, Devin Booker, Rick Barry, Billy Donovan, Bob Verga, Joe Fulks, Calvin Murphy, Kobe Bryant, Bernard King, Tony Delk, Terrence Stansbury, Kevin Love, LeCount Fantroy, Antoine Walker, Glen Rice, David Thompson, and Kobe Bryant (again).
How many 70 point games are there in the NBA?
As of April 2021, there have been close to 300 instances where an NBA player has scored 70 points or more in a game. This includes 213 performances by Wilt Chamberlain, a record that will likely never be broken.
Scoring 70 points or more comes with different levels of difficulty, depending on the player’s shooting accuracy. For example, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game, but he made 28 of 46 shots in the process.
Other players have needed more shots and free throws in order to hit the 70-point mark, while Shaquille O’Neal’s highest single-game total was 61 points which he achieved with 27 made shots. As the NBA continues to evolve, more and more players are establishing themselves as top scorers and record-breakers, making 70-point games more and more common.
Did David Robinson score 71 points?
No, David Robinson did not score 71 points. On April 24th, 1994, David Robinson scored a career-high 71 points in a Spurs win against the Los Angeles Clippers, but it was not his highest scoring game.
On March 8th, 1993, Robinson scored 71 points in the first half against the Shining Stars of the United States Basketball League, but the Spurs decided to sit him in the second half so that he could rest and the rest of the team could get some court time.
Additionally, on February 12th, 1994, Robinson scored 75 points in a Spurs win against the Hornets. Robinson’s career high, however, came on December 23rd, 1994, when he scored 76 points in a Spurs win against the Mavericks.