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:

RankPlayerPointsYear
1.Wilt Chamberlain431959
2.Frank Selvy351954
3.John Drew321974
 Maurice Stokes321955
5.Isiah Thomas311981
6.Willie Anderson301988
 Allen Iverson301996
 Lamar Odom301999
9.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar291969
 Walt Bellamy291961
 Gordan Giriček292002
12.Danny Finn281953
13.Ron Anderson271984
 Paolo Banchero272022
 Chris Duarte272021
 Bobby Jackson271997
 Jerry Stackhouse271995
 P.J. Washington272019
19.Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf261990
 Darrell Griffith261980
 Cleo Hill261961
 Magic Johnson261979
 Donyell Marshall261994
 Jahlil Okafor262015
 Mitchell Wiggins261983

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 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.