Ranking Every Scoring Champion in NBA History

From Wilt Chamberlain to Michael Jordan to Kevin Durant, we ranked them all.

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The game of basketball has changed a lot since Dr. James Naismith first invented it all the way back in 1891. The offenses that basketball teams use today are more complex. The defenses are, too. And the hoops that players try to score on aren't made out of peach baskets anymore. But the concept behind the game remains the same—the team with the most points at the end of a contest wins.

With that in mind, players who can score the basketball are still the most valuable players in the game. Take Kevin Durant, for example. KD—who turns 26 tomorrow—is arguably the best player in the NBA (and the entire world) right now. And he's the best because he can take the ball and put it in the basket at will during games. He can score from behind the three-point line, he can drive the ball to the bucket, and he can knock down his free throws. It's why he won the NBA scoring title last season—and why he won three other NBA scoring titles before that.

Is he the greatest scoring champion ever, though? To try and answer that question, we took a look back at all 29 players who have won the NBA scoring title since the league started keeping track of the distinction back in the early 1950s (just FYI, we didn't include any of the BAA or ABA scoring champions that were crowned over the years). Join us in Ranking Every Scoring Champion in NBA History to see where KD and his fellow scoring champions fall.

29. George Yardley

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28. Neil Johnston

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27. Dave Bing

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26. David Robinson

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25. Dwyane Wade

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24. Paul Arizin

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23. Bernard King

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22. Bob Pettit

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21. Elvin Hayes

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20. Alex English

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19. Adrian Dantley

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18. Pete Maravich

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17. Nate "Tiny" Archibald

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16. Tracy McGrady

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15. Carmelo Anthony

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14. Dominique Wilkins

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13. Jerry West

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12. Rick Barry

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11. LeBron James

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10. George Mikan

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9. Shaquille O'Neal

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8. Kobe Bryant

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7. Allen Iverson

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6. Bob McAdoo

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5. Kevin Durant

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4. George Gervin

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3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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2. Wilt Chamberlain

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1. Michael Jordan

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