Who scored most points in NBA debut? Full list, player leaderboard feature Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson

Scott Rafferty

Who scored most points in NBA debut? Full list, player leaderboard feature Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson image

The time has come for Victor Wembanyama to make his NBA debut.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wembanyama joins the Spurs as one of the most hyped prospects in NBA history. He entered the NBA after a dominant season in France, and he showcased his incredible potential in both Summer League and preseason games.

Now, it's time for the real fun as Wembanyama embarks on his first full season in the league.

All eyes will be on Wembanyama when he plays his first regular season game on Wednesday. If his performance in preseason is a sign of what's to come, he could put up some big numbers.

With that in mind, here's the type of damage Wembanyama would have to do against the Mavericks to crack the list of the highest-scoring debuts in NBA history.

MORE: The Sporting News ranks the top 30 players in the NBA

Who scored the most points in an NBA debut?

The record for most points scored in an NBA debut is held by — who else? — Wilt Chamberlain.

On Oct. 24, 1959, Chamberlain scored 43 points in his first-ever NBA game. He's the only player in league history to break 40 points to start an NBA career.

A total of eight players have scored 30 or more points in their debuts, a list headlined by Maurice Stokes, Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson and Lamar Odom. Odom was the most recent player to join the list, scoring 30 points in his debut in 1999.

Here is the list of highest-scoring debuts in NBA history:

Rank Player Points Year
1. Wilt Chamberlain 43 1959
2. Frank Selvy 35 1954
3. John Drew 32 1974
  Maurice Stokes 32 1955
5. Isiah Thomas 31 1981
6. Willie Anderson 30 1988
  Allen Iverson 30 1996
  Lamar Odom 30 1999
9. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 29 1969
  Walt Bellamy 29 1961
  Gordan Giriček 29 2002
12. Danny Finn 28 1953
13. Ron Anderson 27 1984
  Paolo Banchero 27 2022
  Chris Duarte 27 2021
  Bobby Jackson 27 1997
  Jerry Stackhouse 27 1995
  P.J. Washington 27 2019
19. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 26 1990
  Darrell Griffith 26 1980
  Cleo Hill 26 1961
  Magic Johnson 26 1979
  Donyell Marshall 26 1994
  Jahlil Okafor 26 2015
  Mitchell Wiggins 26 1983

How many points did LeBron James score in his NBA debut?

The No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, LeBron James made his highly anticipated debut on Oct. 29, 2003.

James played a total of 43 minutes, finishing with 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals. It wasn't enough to defeat the Kings, who beat the Cavaliers by a final score of 106-92. You can watch the entire game here.

James went on to average 20.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in his rookie season.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.