5 all-time leaders in points scored off the bench in the NBA
We often hear about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of most points scored in NBA history (38,387 points).
The all-time record for points scored is one of the most coveted records in the league, and Abdul-Jabbar's mark has stood untouched since he passed Wilt Chamberlain's tally of 31,419 points on April 5th, 1984.
The overall points record in the NBA is well-documented. In this article, we will take a different look at the art of scoring in the league. We will give you a list of the five players with the most points scored coming off the bench.
5 players with the most points scored off the bench in NBA history
We will obviously take the number of points scored by the following players only in games which they did not start. The tallies will not be made by each player's points scored in their NBA career, but their points scored as a bench player.
Without further ado, let us start.
#5 Ricky Pierce - 9,513 points off the bench in NBA career
Ricky Pierce played for 16 years in the NBA and earned a couple of spots on the All-Star team. He played a total of 969 games and had 700 appearances off the bench.
In those 700 appearances, he scored 9,513 points for an average of 13.6 points in 22 minutes per game.
Coincidentally, Ricky Pierce and the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award arrived in the NBA in the same season, the 1982-83 campaign. Pierce went on to take the trophy home twice in his NBA career (with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1986-87 and 1989-90 seasons).
He played for the Detroit Pistons, San Diego Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Supersonics, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets and Charlotte Hornets.
#4 Eddie Johnson - 9,569 points off the bench in NBA career
The Kansas City Kings (now at Sacramento) drafted Eddie Johnson with the 29th overall pick of the 1981 NBA Draft.
The 6' 7'' forward was a good scorer for Kansas City early in his career. He then evolved into one of the best scorers off the bench in the NBA.
Johnson scored 9,569 points off the bench in the NBA. His career in the league lasted for 18 years, and he played in 1,199 games, coming off the bench 720 times.
He averaged 13 points in 22.5 minutes per game in his appearances off the bench. Johnson's bench-scoring earned him the Sixth Man of the Year award in the 1988-89 season, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns.