Ranking the 3 greatest seasons of Wilt Chamberlain's NBA career in terms of points per game

Wilt Chamberlain is the name associated with most records in the NBA. The legendary center was an impressive player who put up numbers that remain unmatched even today, 48 years after he retired from the NBA.

Whether it is his 100 points in a single game, his 118 games with at least 50 points or his 55 rebounds in a single game, Wilt Chamberlain's records are definitely incredible.

Wilt Chamberlain's 3 greatest NBA seasons in terms of points per game

In terms of scoring, Wilt Chamberlain set almost unbreakable records. He retired as the NBA's all-time scoring leader with 31,419 points in the regular season. His career average of points per game in the regular season (30.07) was also the best for a career before Michael Jordan's 30.1 surpassed the mark.

Wilt Chamberlain's résumé is remarkable. It includes two NBA titles, four NBA MVP awards, 13 All-Star games, seven scoring titles, 10 All-NBA selections, a Finals MVP award, an assist title and more.

In this article, we will take a look at Wilt Chamberlain's unbelievable scoring prowess by listing his top 3 NBA seasons in terms of points per game.

Note: Wilt Chamberlain owns five of the top 6 scoring averages for a single season in NBA history, and the top 4 is entirely his.

#3 1960-61 NBA season

Wilt Chamberlain recorded the highest points per game for a rookie in NBA history in the 1959-60 NBA campaign and became the first rookie to win the MVP award. Even after achieving these milestones, he maintained his scintillating form as a sophomore in the 1960-61 season.

He led the league in scoring for the second time in two years for the Philadelphia Warriors, putting up his third-highest average of points per game (38.4 points per game). He had 50.9% field-goal efficiency and a league-high 27.2 rebounds per game (the highest in NBA history).

At the time, Chamberlain's 38.4 points per game were the highest in NBA history for a single season.

#2 1962-63 NBA season

Wilt Chamberlain with the San Francisco Warriors

In his fourth NBA season, Wilt Chamberlain won the NBA scoring title for the fourth time in his career. He played 80 games during the regular season and scored a total of 3,586 points.

His average of points per game in the 1962-63 NBA season was an incredible 44.8 points per game, which ranks second in NBA history for a single season.

Wilt Chamberlain had 30 games with at least 50 points in the 1962-63 NBA season, nine 60-point games and a record-tying three 70-point games.

However, it was not good enough to win the NBA MVP award, as Bill Russell took home the coveted prize for the third straight campaign.

#1 1961-62 NBA season

Wilt Chamberlain had an extraordinary 1961-62 NBA season, even by his high standards. Of course, that season was extraordinary for a lot of players in terms of statistical achievements, as Oscar Robertson put up a triple-double for the entire campaign.

In Chamberlain's case, the season was headlined by his scoring outbursts. He averaged a record 50.4 points per game in the campaign. This NBA record is still intact to this day.

On March 2nd, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored a single-game 100 points against the New York Knicks, another NBA record that is unlikely to be broken soon.

During his run to averaging 50.4 points per night, Chamberlain had 45 games of at least 50 points, 15 with at least 60, three games with at least 70 and his 100-point night (all records).

To continue the extraordinary trend of the 1961-62 NBA season, the NBA MVP award was not won by Chamberlain or Robertson. Instead, the Boston Celtics' Bill Russell was named the MVP.