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The NBA has seen some of the greatest displays of individual scoring in the modern era. Considering the newer rules in place and the variety of competition, the nature of scoring is not the same as it used to be.
Scoring is by far the most exciting part of the game. Among the less enamored aspects, such as defense and passing, scoring is the glamorous counterpart that draws people in.
It's a make-or-miss league, as they say, and the NBA features some of the greatest offensive minds the sport has ever seen.
The title of the NBA's Scoring Champion is reserved for players who average the highest points per game throughout the course of the season. The title is currently held by the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, who averaged 32 points per game in the 2020-21 season.
Keeping the reigning champions in mind, we take a look at the five highest individual scoring seasons in the 21st century.
#5 Tracy McGrady, 2002-03 - 32.1 PPG
With one of the most iconic displays of end-game heroics in NBA history, Tracy McGrady has produced several moments of offensive brilliance in his career.
Standing at 6'8", McGrady played at the small forward position. With elite athleticism, a comfortable handle on the ball and his ability to shoot, he was a walking bucket.
McGrady emerged as a scoring powerhouse in his time with the Orlando Magic. Over the course of his four years with the franchise, he would average 28.1 points, seven rebounds and 5.1 assists.
McGrady also went on to win two consecutive NBA scoring titles with the Magic from 2002-2004.
His career season in scoring would come in 2003-04 where he produced 32.1 PPG while shooting 45.7% from the field and 38.6% from beyond the arc.
#4 Allen Iverson, 2005-06 - 33.0 PPG
Allen Iverson was among the first in the generation to redefine how the game was played. Standing at six feet tall, Iverson played as a point guard for the majority of his illustrious 14-year career.
However, while point guards are expected to be playmakers, Iverson changed the way the game was approached. Making use of his pathbreaking dribbling skills and speed, Iverson quickly emerged as a scoring guard.
Allen Iverson took the league by storm. He was doing things with the ball that nobody had ever seen before. It caught defenders off-guard and produced some of the greatest highlight reels of all time.
With one of the most creative and lethal offensive skillsets, Iverson would go on to win four NBA Scoring titles over the course of his career.
Iverson's greatest scoring year came in the 2005-06 season with the Philadelphia 76ers. For the season, he averaged 33 points while shooting 44.7% from the field and 32.3% from downtown. However, he did not win the scoring title in this season.
#3 James Harden, 2019-20 - 34.3 PPG
James Harden transitioned from being the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year with the Oklahoma City Thunder to a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate with the Houston Rockets.
With the Rockets, Harden overhauled his entire game and entered the ranks of the elite when it came to scoring. Consistently making use of his tremendous dribbling package, Harden easily gets to his spots on the floor to score or create plays.
With a sneaky first step and a knack for drawing contact, Harden creates opportunities to go to the charity stripe. He also led the league in three-pointers made for the season with 299 in total.
In the 2019-20 season, Harden followed up his performance from the previous season by leading the league in scoring again. Average 34.3 points, Harden shot 44.4% from the field and 35.5% from behind the arc. He also posted a season-high of 60 points while going off for 50+ on four other occasions.
#2 Kobe Bryant, 2005-06 - 35.4 PPG
Kobe Bryant spent his entire career with the LA Lakers. In that time, the league saw Bryant grow from a young boy, fresh out of high school, to one of the greatest players this game has ever seen.
Kobe has been one of the most gifted minds the game of basketball has ever had. However, he truly shined when it came to scoring. Kobe Bryant was an assassin. He could score on anyone at will and would do so regularly.
Kobe Bryant has put up some unreal statlines throughout his career. The list is endless. When it comes down to offense, he is one of the best to ever do it.
Masking all his moves to make them look the same, until the last moment. That is where Bryant arrived at the pinnacle of scoring.
As a two-time scoring champion, Kobe Bryant would win his titles consecutively from 2005-2007. His best year for scoring was in the 2005-06 season where he averaged 35.4 points while shooting 45% from the field and 34.7% from beyond the arc.
#1 James Harden, 2018-19 - 36.1 PPG
James Harden returns to this list with the highest scoring average for a season in the 21st century. This is also the highest scoring season by a player since Michael Jordan in the 1986-87 season who averaged 37.1 PPG.
Averaging a career year in scoring while also creating for his teammates, Harden was at the peak of his offensive powers in the 2018-19 NBA season. He joined an elite company of players who can be considered unguardable.
Harden could score at will from anywhere in the halfcourt, but he could also draw foul calls at will. NBA defenses had to be wary of Harden in either scenario. Harden still attempted 858 free throws for the season.
Shooting 44.2% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc, Harden capped off the season with a 36.1 points per game average and the second of his three NBA scoring titles.
