The Best Individual Performances in NBA History

NBA basketball never ceases to amaze us, we are enchanted by the three-pointers, spectacular dunks, and those buzzer beaters that make arenas explode with joy.

Often behind these plays, there are crazy statistics at the end of the game, who recorded a double-double, who like Russell Westbrook was breaking records with a triple-double after another, or who every night plays consecutive 40-point games in full James Harden style.

We know that basketball has much more than just the usual numbers on the scoresheet, but we often focus on the performances of players and on Fantabasket Dunkest days, it becomes our and your first thought as soon as the alarm goes off.

Records have never stopped being classified, and anyone, voluntarily or not, plays to overthrow the previous one and write their own name in the points, rebounds, assists, and so on rankings.

We have chosen the 10 most incredible performances, all-around games (of the Regular Season), so you won’t find Kobe’s 81 points, because although it was pure poetry, it did not fit the parameters of the ranking.

Likewise, there are no games of Wilt Chamberlain, otherwise, there would have been no room for the others in the ten positions, and it could have been called “The 10 most incredible statistics of Wilt”.

Most of them are from the modern era, as steals and blocks started to be counted only from the mid-’70s, so the quadruple-double was also born, and below are ten players who have contributed to the League with these uncommon numbers.

Chris Paul (20 points, 20 assists, 0 turnovers, FG 50%) vs Pelicans

December 10, 2016 – When the Clippers were flying high thanks to the quality of the entire “Lob City”, the “Point God” was there to assist DeAndre Jordan and the serial dunker Blake Griffin, and that night against New Orleans, he decided not to miss anything.

With 20 points and a reliable 50% shooting, all seasoned with 20 assists for his teammates, who were good at whipping the net and equally excellent at helping their teammate avoid turnovers.

Dwight Howard (32 points, 30 rebounds) vs Nets

March 21, 2018 – The last glimpses of a declining Howard, before his incredible physical recovery in Los Angeles. During his season in Charlotte, he sometimes wore the mantle of Superman, and during the spring solstice, he bloomed the Hornets with a monstrous performance.

Commentators resurrected the old nickname “Daily Double” for the center, who set the record for the most points scored in a game while grabbing 30 rebounds. Americans love to create statistics.

Kevin Love (31 points, 31 rebounds)

November 12, 2010 – When Kevin Love was clean-shaven, without an NBA title, and didn’t look like the model he is now, he ruled the paint in Minneapolis and dreamed big (not realizing that maybe having only him wouldn’t have been enough).

Against the Knicks, he demonstrated territorial supremacy worthy of the best conquerors, grabbing 19 defensive and 12 offensive rebounds and scoring 31 points.

It was the beginning of the season, and good Kevin, in his third year in the League, hinted that he was also among the big men, all while playing power forward, making the contribution of the other rim-protector of the Wolves practically null. This must have caught LBJ’s attention a few years later.

Nikola Jokic (35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 0 turnovers, 100% FG) vs Suns

October 20, 2018 – You will notice that 2018 was the solar year with the highest number of incredible performances, thanks also to the evolution of the game and the players who, although tall and perhaps a bit cumbersome, do not lack in any fundamental aspect.

This is the case with Nikola Jokic: with Halloween around the corner, he decided to scare his opponents to death and played what is known as a perfect game.

A monstrous triple-double with 0 turnovers and 100% from the field, staining an immaculate scoreboard at the end due to a free throw stopped by the rim.

Nate Thurmond (22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks) vs Hawks

October 18, 1974 – A quadruple-double is considered an heresy to rank only seventh, especially when it’s also the first one officially registered by the NBA. Thurmond worked to humiliate the Hawks in front of the entire arena and fully utilized his 7-foot-0 frame, giving the Bulls the win and making the 12 blocks he had on the opposing team a nightly dream.

So why is it here? He achieved the feat in overtime and in those years, Nate was one of the tallest players in the League, a point in his favor, but for statistics, it makes everything “simpler.”

Scott Skiles (22 points, 30 assists) vs Nuggets

December 30, 1990 – You may know Skiles thanks to NBA 2K, where his name appears in the “NBA single-game assist record” stat, or because you have seen him sitting on the benches of Bulls, Suns, Bucks and Magic in recent years.

Approaching the new year with an embarrassing record, for both Nuggets and Magic, this was the game to entertain the audience. Orlando won 155-116 and Skiles, in absolute grace, recorded the all-time record (still unbeaten) of assists in a single game, accompanied by a lady-like production of points, 22, to complete the work.

There wasn’t much defense in that game, and the two teams were really below average, but Skiles’ 30 assists are a gem not to be missed.

Shaquille O’Neal (24 points, 28 rebounds, 15 blocks) vs Nets

November 20, 1993 – For those who don’t know, Shaq was drafted in 1992, so this game was played at the beginning of his second year in the NBA. Here’s a sophomore who starts to show signs of his dominance in the game played in New Jersey, near his birthplace.

Although the Magic will only finish ahead by 2 points, O’Neal clears any living form from the court, shooting over 60%, going to the free-throw line only once (missing it, heaven forbid).

The terrifying data is in defense, with 28 rebounds and 15 blocks, coming close to Elmore Smith’s record of 17. He said he played an “OK game,” that was his only 20-20-10 game of his career and inexplicably, one of the most forgotten.

James Harden (60 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) vs Magic

January 30, 2018 – The Beard has accustomed us to high-scoring games, but some blame him for being too selfish, that he’ll never be a winner taking 30/40 isolation shots and other various epithets, entirely undeserved.

Firstly, because players like Kobe and Jordan based their careers on the ISO Game, taking an incredible amount of shots, then the fact not to be underestimated: unlike the aforementioned legends, James Harden is an incredible passer, not that Bryant or MJ couldn’t pass it, they just didn’t.

On the January night with 60 points and double-digits in rebounds and assists, he recorded the triple-double with the most points scored, literally eating up the Orlando defense, so much so that some joker on the Magic’s Wikipedia page put “James Harden” in the owner’s section.

David Robinson (34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks) vs Pistons

February 17, 1994 – A well-deserved spotlight for the Admiral, and if another quadruple-double isn’t at the top, then there must have been something even more incredible. Indeed, you’ll soon agree with this choice. David Robinson followed the Spurs’ path set by Alvin Robertson and achieved the quadruple-double with the most points in NBA history.

With 34 points and a dominant performance on both ends of the court, he crushed the Detroit team. Despite his incredible performance, he had to wait until the next season for the MVP title and the arrival of a young man from a remote American island for the NBA title. The Admiral brought the Pistons, his teammates, and the entire league in line.

Hakeem Olajuwon (38 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, 7 steals, 12 blocks) vs Sonics

March 10, 1987 – The Dream because it was a dream to watch him play, and perhaps also because you dreamt of being able to stop him. With the “Dream Shake,” he could literally send you to the bar, and it was impossible to guard him. The biggest regret was never seeing a Jordan vs. Olajuwon matchup in the Finals.

March is Hakeem’s lucky month. During the third month of the year in 1987, he recorded the most prolific performance in NBA history.

In statistical terms, this is a “5×6” game, achieved only by him and Kirilenko, but what stands out the most is that Olajuwon could have finished the game with a quintuple-double, showing what an extraordinary player he was.

Three years later, “The Dream” recorded his first quadruple-double and just three weeks later, he recorded a second one, which for unknown reasons was only attributed to him as a triple-double.

If you were wondering why he only ranks second after so much praise, it’s because it took two overtimes to achieve this fantastic statistic.

Russell Westbrook (20 points, 20 rebounds, 21 assists) vs Lakers

April 2, 2019 – The gold medal goes to someone who has been labeled for years as a stats-padder, selfish, a ball hog, and a lot of nonsense, especially for someone who finishes two consecutive seasons with a triple-double average, also achieving double digits in the assist category.

This date was a touching and special moment for our Russ, who played the entire game like a bull being shown the red cloth. It had been since Wilt Chamberlain that a player put up numbers like 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 21 assists, but Wilt was over 7 feet tall and played almost “alone,” making these types of games “easy.”

Westbrook (NBA All-Time Triple Doubles Leaders) achieved it in 2019, against LeBron James’ Lakers (although the King, injured, did not take part in the match), two nights after the murder of his friend and rapper Nipsey Hussle, dedicating this game to him.

RW0 played a game not without errors, and the opponents were the Lakers’ B team, but no one can deny that he showed the entire world that his MVP two seasons prior was not just the result of triple-doubles and statistics but of an undisputed dominance of the court.

Nikola Jokic (41 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists) vs Suns

December 25, 2022 – During the last NBA Christmas Day, Nikola Jokic managed to collect a triple-double with an impressive 41 points, 15 assists, and 15 rebounds in the game between his Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns. A performance that rightfully entered the basketball books as no one had ever recorded similar numbers on Christmas Day.

Luka Doncic (60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists) vs Knicks

December 27, 2023 – Meanwhile, Luka Doncic achieved the feat of recording a legendary triple-double of 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists in the victory of his Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. Scary numbers for a 23-year-old player (turning 24 in a few weeks).

Furthermore, Luka Doncic is the only player in NBA history to score at least 210 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists in 5 games thanks to a series of monstrous performances maintaining an average of 45.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 10.2 assists.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (22 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, FG 100%) Vs Raptors

March 20, 2023 – For some players, registering a triple-double in modern-day NBA has become almost expected, but Giannis’ performance against the Raptors cannot go unmentioned in this special article.

The Bucks’ star closed out his game on March 20, 2023, with 22 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 blocks, and a stunning 9/9 from the field (8/8 from 2-point range and 1/1 from 3-point range). The performance was slightly tainted by 3 turnovers and 3/7 free throws, but impossible not to include it among the greatest performances in NBA history.

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Author: Zeno Schievenin
March 25, 2023 | 1:17 pm