5 highest individual scoring seasons in the NBA in the 21st century
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.