THE TOP TEN NBA SCORERS OF ALL TIME

10. Alex English - 25,613 points
Despite being the most prolific scorer of the 1980s and cornerstone of the high-scoring Denver Nuggets throughout that time, English remains relatively unknown today. Perhaps this is due to his soft-spoken demeanor, or his workmanlike style that lacked the flash of the Harlem Globetrotters. But when he did speak, he was never lacking in elegance. In fact, he is probably the only NBA player to have multiple books of poetry published while playing (and you try holding a pencil while running a lay-up!).

After retiring in 1991, English went on to a post within the NBA Players' Association as Director of Player Programs and Services, overseeing such things as drug and HIV treatment programs. His number was retired in Denver in 1992 and he is a current Hall of Famer.


9. John Havlicek - 26,395 points

Every rabid basketball fan has seen the famous highlight footage where Celtic announcer Johnny Most cries, "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!" For those of you who don't know what we're talking about, we'll set the scene: with 5 seconds left in game seven of the 1965 Eastern Division Finals, John Havlickek stole the ball to preserve a one-point Boston win. His on-court hustle was what he was known for, both as a guard, where he was bigger than his opponents, and as a forward, where he was faster.

But most of all, Havlicek was known as a winner. Among his many personal accomplishments, he was on 8 NBA champion teams in Boston throughout the 60s and 70s, playing with the likes of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and Dave Cowens through two separate "dynasty" periods. (We'll let you know if a Dallas or Knott's Landing period hits the scene.)


8. Dominique Wilkins - 26,669 points

The so-called "human highlight film" of the 80s had a scoring average over 20 points per game for 11 straight seasons, and won the scoring championship once. He would almost certainly be higher up on the list, in fact, if he didn't keep taking off to play in Europe all the time. He played a year in Greece, averaging 20 points a game and leading his team to the European championship, where he was named MVP of the Final Four.

Wilkins played most of his career in Atlanta, but gave up on team loyalty after being traded to the LA Clippers for Danny Manning midway through his 12th season. After that, he bounced around everywhere, including overseas. He has yet to win a championship, though, and is playing this year in Orlando with his brother, Gerald. So don't count him out.


7. Oscar Robertson - 26,710 points
The Big "O" is one of those names that people bandy about when talking about the greatest player ever to play the game. And deservedly so - he had the all-around game that a lot of today's players lack. He is, in fact, the only player ever to officially average a triple double for an entire season, in 1961-62. Along with over 30 points, he managed over 12 rebounds and 11 assists per game. That's Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and John Stockton all rolled into one player. We'll probably never see another player like him.

Drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1960, the 6'5" guard played his entire career with Cincinnati and the Milwaukee Bucks. In 1974, his last season, he played with another great player, Lew Alcindor, a name you will see (but not recognize) further ahead in our list. The two of them battled their way to the 7th game of the NBA Finals, but Oscar came up short in the final period, putting an exciting finish on an exiting career.


6. Elvin Hayes - 27,313 points

The prototypical power forward, the 6'9" Hayes was known for his turnaround jumper and aggressive rebounding and defense. He is also in the top ten in career rebounds, games, and minutes played. He played with a variety of teams during his first 12 All-star seasons, finally winning the NBA Finals in 1978 with the Washington Bullets.

Controversy and acrimony seem to have been constant companions throughout Hayes' career, as he suffered at the hands of the media for being standoffish and outspoken, and with teammates and coaches for being a troublemaker. Hayes retired in 1984 and bought a car dealership and a cattle ranch to keep himself busy (and it's apparently working . . . we haven't heard a peep from him since).


5. Moses Malone - 27,409 points

Malone was the first big-name player to be drafted right out of high school into the pros, the trailblazer for the Kobe Bryants and Tracy McGradys of today's league. A 6'10" center, he is also 3rd on the all-time rebounding list, and would rise to 4th place on the scoring list if we counted his 2 years in the ABA with the Utah Stars (but we won't . . . this is an NBA list). One of the most dominant players of the late 70s and early 80s, he biblically led the Houston Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981, and the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship in 1983.

Malone was a frequent league MVP, All-star, and leading rebounder, but without the towering height of the opposing centers, he had to rely on his natural quickness and toughness to get the job done - a Charles Barkley of an earlier era. He retired in 1994 with many awards and honors under his belt, and was later named one of the 50 best players in NBA history.


4. Michael Jordan - 29,277 points

What can we say about "Air" Jordan that you don't already know? He is the most recognized media and sports icon in the world, even in countries where they don't play basketball, thanks to the tireless marketing and merchandizing efforts of his good friends at Nike.

The man had an almost supernatural competitive fire and a gnawing urge to win. He won 6 championships, 5 league MVPs, many scoring championships, his name in the record book in all sorts of areas, and the megabucks that other players only dreamed about 'til he came along. He had to retire because he unfairly weighted the league by himself. If Mike hadn't gotten bored, who knows how many more points he would have scored? He was arguably at the peak of his game.


3. Karl Malone - 30,599 points

One of two active players on our top ten list (along with Dominique Wilkins), Karl "The Mailman" Malone became the third person in NBA history to score over 30,000 points on January 29, 2000. The 6'9" power forward is part of the dynamic duo of Malone and Stockton out in Utah, though the pair might still be playing because they haven't been able to win the NBA championship yet. They have twice made it to the Finals, but lost both times to Michael's Bulls.

In his mostly unspectacular style, Malone just consistently gets the job done. You can count on his 20 plus points a game and 10 rebounds, just like clockwork. During his spare time, he likes to drive the long haul rigs, and pictures of his famous truck have been in many sports magazines.


2. Wilt Chamberlain - 31,419 points

Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain was another of the players who can legitimately be called the best ever. His utter dominance of high school, then college, then professional basketball can hardly be understood by fans of today. He was bigger, stronger, and more athletic than the competition wherever he played, and his statistics show it.

His name is in the record book more than any other player: most points in a single game (100), most points in a season (4000), most rebounds in a game (55), highest season scoring average (50.4), most career rebounds (23,924), most career sexual conquests (10,000, he claims), and many more. In a time when goaltending was legal, he tipped or stuffed in countless shots, and blocked or cleared out as many more on the defensive end. If stats were kept on blocked shots when he was playing, then he would have had many seasons where he averaged a triple double.

When Oscar Robertson was asked if Wilt was the greatest player of all time, he replied simply, "The books don't lie." Wilt passed away last year at the age of 63.


1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 38,387 points

Formerly named Lew Alcindor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the final name on our list. As a collegian named Lew, he was a three-time NCAA championship winner with coach John Wooden at UCLA. As a pro, he won Rookie of the Year, MVPs, and the NBA championship with the Big "O" in Milwaukee in 1970-71. He also became known for his signature "skyhook" shot. Then over the off-season, he converted from Catholicism to Islam and changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which means "noble, powerful, servant." That musta been some vacation . . .

Kareem was traded in 1974 to the LA Lakers, and despite many personal successes, failed to achieve team success until 1979, when the Lakers used their first-round draft pick to select Earvin "Magic" Johnson. After that, it was gravy - 9 divisional titles, 5 NBA championships, and 8 trips to the finals. He also made quite a splash in Hollywood, having a recurring role on the TV show Diff'rent Strokes and a prominent role in the movie Airplane! He retired at age 42 with a 7,000-point cushion over second place Wilt, and holds a record for career scoring that will probably never be broken.