"Steph Curry could definitely score 100 points” – Damian Lillard picks players who have a shot at leveling Wilt Chamberlain’s age-old record
Damian Lillard is ready to witness history. When it comes to NBA records, few are truly considered as unbreakable as Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. Even in the modern era of high-paced offense like we see today, few players have ever come remotely close to Chamberlain's record.
To date, the closest anyone has ever come to Chamberlain's record is the 81 points Kobe Bryant scored in 2006. When it comes to active players, the only ones to come close to Chamberlain's record are Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard. Both men scored 71 points this year, which raised the question of whether Chamberlain's record is truly unbreakable.
While the general consensus has been that nobody will manage to eclipse the 100 points scored by Chamberlain, Damian Lillard believes there's a chance. During a recent episode of "The Old Man and the Three," the reigning 3-point contest champion explained why he and Steph Curry could score 100.
"I don't know if I'mma ever score 70 again. So like when you really think about it, it's like I really could have had 90. When the time came, I could have had 90 if these shots went in, so it was like, that's what I was thinking about.
"And then, when I really thought about it, I was like, Steph Curry could definitely score 100 points. I could score 100."
You can see his comments in the video below beginning shortly after the five-minute mark.
Where does Damian Lillard rank for the most points scored in a game?
With Wilt Chamberlain sitting atop the list, and Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell both scoring 71 this season, let's look at the rankings. After Chamberlain's 100 point game in 1962, and Kobe Bryant's 81 point game in 2006, Wilt Chamberlain sits in third place with 78 points scored in 1961.
In fourth place, Wilt Chamberlain and David Thompson are tied with 73 points. However, it's important to note that Chamberlain actually scored 73 points twice. Both of Chamberlain's 73-point games came during the 1962 season, while Thompson's came several years later in 1978.
In fifth place, it's Chamberlain again with 72 points, which he scored during the 1962 season. That's when things get interesting. In sixth place with 71 points scored, we have Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard.
The 71 points scored by both Lillard and Mitchell are the most scored by any active player. Sitting just shy of the tied record is Devin Booker, who scored 70 points back in 2017. Although Lillard predicted Steph Curry could score 100, Curry's career-high is 62 points, which he scored during the 2021 season.
With an incredibly high pace and a high volume of three-point shots, it's no secret that the average score of NBA games has risen by quite a bit. While it would have taken overtime, or even double overtime to reach scores of 140 points in the 90s, it's happening more frequently during regulation.
Whether or not a player manages to capture lightning in a bottle again like Chamberlain did and tie his elusive 100-point record, only time will tell.