Listing the 3 players who have scored the most points for the LA Lakers in a single NBA game

The LA Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most NBA titles in league history with 17, but the purple and gold should definitely be known as the most iconic franchise in NBA history.

Most of the greatest players to ever suit up in the National Basketball Association have put on the purple and gold jerseys and have succeeded in their quest for championships, often creating dynasties.

George Mikan (in Minneapolis), Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and many more have performed at an elite level for the Minneapolis/LA Lakers and have put the franchise at the very top of the NBA.

Players with the most points scored for the LA Lakers in a single NBA game

Performing at the highest level under the pressure of playing for the LA Lakers is certainly a huge step in establishing greatness for any superstar, and some legends have managed to be spectacular while playing for LA.

In this article, we will take a statistical look into the LA Lakers' elite players. We will give you the three players who scored the most points in a single NBA game for the storied franchise.

Without further ado, let us take a look.

#3 Wilt Chamberlain | 66 points

Wilt Chamberlain during his days with the Lakers.

Wilt Chamberlain played for the LA Lakers from 1968 until his final year in the NBA in 1973. By the time he arrived in LA, Chamberlain had already broken every major scoring record.

He was six years removed from scoring 100 points in a single NBA game and he had a career average of 36 points per game at that point (nine seasons).

Moreover, he arrived in Los Angeles after winning the last three NBA MVP awards and capturing his first NBA title in 1967 as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. During the 1968-69 season, his first with the Lakers, Chamberlain put up 66 points on February 9th, 1969, against the Phoenix Suns.

He averaged only 20.5 points per game that season, but did have a couple of 60-point outings. The Lakers went to the NBA Finals, but fell to Bill Russell's Celtics in a seven-game series.

#2 Elgin Baylor | 71 points

Elgin Baylor while playing with the team in the NBA.

Elgin Baylor is arguably the greatest player to never win an NBA title, but his legacy for the LA Lakers will always be respected and applauded. Baylor put up several seasons that are unique in league history, and he was a dominant force on the basketball court.

Baylor played his entire 14-year career with the LA Lakers, his first two years when the franchise was in Minneapolis. He averaged 27.4 points per game, which is the highest in franchise history, and his career average is the third-highest in NBA history, behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

In his third season, the franchise's first in LA (1960-61), Elgin Baylor had a brilliant year, averaging 34.8 points (his best in a full season) and 19.8 rebounds per game. During that same campaign, Baylor scored 71 points against the New York Knicks on November 15th, 1960.

At the time, it was the most points scored in a single game by a player in NBA history before Wilt Chamberlain surpassed it. It remains the sixth-highest tally in league history.

#1 Kobe Bryant | 81 points

Kobe Bryant won five NBA championships with the franchise and two Finals MVPs.

Kobe Bryant has often been described as the greatest player in the history of the LA Lakers, and it is certainly difficult to argue against it.

Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the franchise, and established several career records and single-season records as well.

He is the franchise leader in career points with 33,643 as well as games played, field goals, three-pointers and steals and is second in assists.

Bryant had the highest scoring average per game for any player in franchise history at 35.4, in the 2005-06 season.

During that same campaign, Bryant had an unbelievable 81-point outing against the Toronto Raptors on January 22nd, 2006.

That scoring outburst, his career-high, ranks second in NBA history for points in a single game, behind Chamberlain's 100 points in 1962.

A Los Angeles Lakers player has scored 60 points in a single game 14 times in NBA history. Kobe Bryant leads that list with six, including one in the final game of his amazing career.