There’s no video footage, only a partial audio recording of the fourth quarter of one of the greatest feats in NBA history.
On March 2, 1962, with only 4,124 spectators in attendance, Wilt Chamberlain scored an NBA-record 100 points in a single game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
After the game, Chamberlain was famously photographed sitting in the locker room holding up a paper with "100" scribbled on it. His feat has stood for over six decades and has never been challenged.
The Big Dipper dropped 23 points in the first quarter, 18 in the second, 28 in the third and 31 in the fourth. He shot 36-of-63 (57.1%) from the field and 28-of-32 (87.5%) from the free throw line despite being a career 51.1% foul shooter. He added 25 rebounds and two assists while playing all 48 minutes.
His performance was even more remarkable given that there was no 3-point line; the NBA didn't add that until the 1979-80 season.
In the 1961-62 season, Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points per game, another record that likely will never be broken.
The second-most points in a game is 81, accomplished by Kobe Bryant in 2006.
The record for most points in an NBA playoff game is held by none other than Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls legend scored 63 points in a double-overtime loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the 1986 first round — a feat that Larry Bird described as “God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
Jordan broke Elgin Baylor's single-game record — a 61-point performance for the Los Angeles Lakers in a win over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals — that had stood for 24 years. Jordan and Baylor are the only two players to score 60 or more points in a playoff game.
Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY
Entering 2026-27 season, there have been 16 games of 70-plus points in NBA history, achieved by 11 different players. Chamberlain is the only player to do it multiple times, with five to his name.
Most Points Scored in an NBA Game
100 – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors
- vs. Knicks, March 2, 1962
83 – Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
- vs. Wizards, March 10, 2026
81 – Kobe Bryant, Lakers
- vs. Raptors, Jan. 22, 2006
78 – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors
- vs. Lakers, Dec. 8, 1961 (3OT)
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
73 – Luka Dončić, Mavericks
- vs. Hawks, Jan. 26, 2024
73 – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors
- vs. Chicago Packers, Jan. 13, 1962
73 – Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Warriors
- vs. Knicks, Nov. 16, 1962
73 – David Thompson, Nuggets
- vs. Pistons, April 9, 1978
72 – Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Warriors
- vs. Lakers, Nov. 3, 1962
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
71 – Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
- vs. Rockets, Feb. 26, 2023
71 – Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
- vs. Bulls, Jan. 2, 2023 (OT)
71 – David Robinson, Spurs
- vs. Clippers, April 24, 1994
71 – Elgin Baylor, Lakers
- vs. Knicks, Nov. 15, 1960
70 – Joel Embiid, 76ers
- vs. Spurs, Jan. 22, 2024
70 – Devin Booker, Suns
- vs. Celtics, March 24, 2017
70 – Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Warriors
- vs. Syracuse Nationals, March 10, 1963
