NBA History: 5 Players with the fewest games to reach 20,000 pointsÂ
Scoring in the NBA has evolved from generation to generation. The likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell dominated the 70s while Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Larry Bird dominated the 80s. Michael Jordan dominated the 90s and Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were the leading players of the 2000s and 2010s respectively.
The leading men of their respective eras broke all kinds of scoring records and have the set the bar for the following generations. There have been less than 50 players who have scored more than 20,000 points in the NBA. The likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook all make this elite list of NBA superstars while the likes of Steph Curry and Damian Lillard are close to joining that list.
Now, we look at the five players who took the fewest games to score 20,000 points.
#5 Elgin Baylor - 711 games
After being drafted as the number one overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft, Elgin Baylor averaged 24.0 points, 15 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting over 40% from the field. He was an immediate impact on the Minneapolis Lakers, now known as the Los Angeles Lakers.
The forward took just 711 games to cross 20,000 points in the league and was one of the best players in the league for a considerable period of time. His athleticism and a well-rounded game made him an asset to the team immediately.
Unfortunately, Baylor did not win a championship in his career. He reached the finals eight times and lost to the Boston Celtics every time. After a couple of knee injuries, the forward decided to call time on his career and the franchise went on to win the championship that very season.