Eleven-time NBA champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell died on Sunday at the age of 88. Below are the top-5 scoring performances in the NBA. The 6’10” center was selected second overall by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1956 NBA draft. However, he was later traded to the Celtics.
He spent his entire 13-year career with Boston. The Monroe, Louisiana native won five MVP awards (1958, 1961–1963 and 1965) and the 1963 NBA All-Star Game MVP award. To add to these accomplishments, he led the NBA in rebounding four times in his career: 1958, 1959, 1964 and 1965.
Bill Russell’s top-5 scoring in the NBA
During the 1959-60 season, Bill Russell hit a career-high 51 home runs with the Syracuse Nationals. In addition to scoring 27 points, the Celtics scored 49 rebounds in a 112-100 win over the Pistons.
Russell and Wilt Chamberlain are the only two NBA players to have more than 50 rebounds in a game. However, which games had the highest scores? Find out below.
5.) 32 points at Philadelphia Warriors – January 31, 1958
On January 31, 1958, in the Celtics’ 110–101 loss to the Philadelphia Warriors, Russell scored a game-high 32 points in 42 minutes. The 23-year-old shot 14-for-21 (66.7%) from the field. Russell finished the performance with 33 rebounds. The Celtics dropped to 33-15 on the season.
4.) 32 points vs. Detroit Pistons – November 9, 1958
He then tied his career high in points on November 9, 1958, finishing with 32 points in a 136-133 Celtics loss to the Pistons. Along with accumulating 18 rebounds, the center blocked shots on a 12-for-15 (80%) performance at the line of scrimmage. Months later, Russell received his first All-NBA first-team selection as a professional player in 1959.
3.) 35 points vs. St. Louis Hawks – November 14, 1961
Then in the Celtics’ 119-117 road win against the St. Louis Hawks on November 9, 1958, Bill Russell scored 35 points in 48 minutes of action. Still, the center outscored CS by 18, shooting 13-of-18 (72.2%) from the floor and 9-for-16 (56.3) from the free throw line. Russell won his third career MVP award and received his third All-NBA Second Team selection in 1962.
2.) 37 points vs. Philadelphia Warriors – March 5, 1961
Also in the Celtics’ 146-129 win over the Philadelphia Warriors on March 5, 1961, the 6’10” big man played a game-high 37 points in 48 minutes. Finishing with 25 rebounds, Russell shot 17-for-34 (50%) from the floor and 3-for-3 ( 100%) shot at the free throw line.Boston improved to 52-22 on the season.He won his second MVP award of the season.
1.) 37 points vs. Los Angeles Lakers – December 17, 1967
In the year On December 17, 1967, Russell hit a career high with 37 points in the Celtics’ 123-117 win over the Lakers. The 33-year-old shot 17-for-23 (73.9%) from the field and 3-for-9 (33.3%) from the free throw line. The center also left the court with 19 rebounds and seven assists.
12-time stars will never be forgotten. In 963 career games, Russell averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He was named to four NBA all-time teams: 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th. In the year He won the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
Bill Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player and then in 2021 as a coach. The Celtics retired the number 6 jersey in 1972. Should the NBA retire Russell’s No. 6 jersey? It will be the best way to honor his NBA legacy.
