The NBA All-Star Game is known for fielding some of the league’s best talents on display. The game provides an interesting platform for the fans to witness all the titans of the NBA on the court all at the same time. However, with such a staggering presence of star talents on the floor, we haven’t really witnessed individual scoring explosions from players, which we might assume from an exhibition or, essentially, a ‘pickup’ game as such.
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Only three players have posted beyond the 50-point threshold in a single All-Star Game in the league’s history. Interestingly, all of these feats happened within just five years. Furthermore, only seven players in the game’s history will ever score 40-plus points in a single All-Star Game. Here, we will explore the top five scoring leaders in a single All-Star Game, including some of the best talents in the league’s history, such as Stephen Curry and Wilt Chamberlain.
Paul George – 41 points (2016)
Paul George started for the Eastern Conference in the 2016 All-Star Game in Toronto and emerged as one of the best players on the floor. He was the game’s leading scorer with 41 points, just one point short of breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s 1962 record of 42 points.
However, despite such a stellar performance, the East was overwhelmed by the Western Conference in a 196-173 scoreline, with Russell Westbrook emerging as the All-Star MVP.
Wilt Chamberlain – 42 points (1962)
In the 12th All-Star Game in St. Louis in 1962, Wilt Chamberlain created history by posting 42 points for the Eastern Conference, setting a record for the highest points scored in an All-Star game for over 50 years. The East also recorded an easy victory over the West with a differential of 20 points in a 130-150 scoreline.
Though Paul George was close by one point to beating Chamberlain’s record, Anthony Davis in 2017 broke this record with his 52-point game.
Anthony Davis – 52 points (2017)
Anthony Davis became the first player to break Wilt Chamberlian’s record, setting a new highest record by posting 52 points for the Western Conference.
The West overwhelmed the East by 10 points over a 192-182 scoreline, with Anthony Davis being named the All-Star MVP. This record stood for six years until being broken by Jayson Tatum in 2023.
Stephen Curry – 50 points (2022)
Stephen Curry, who was playing for Team LeBron in 2022’s All-Star Game, played a 50-point game to clinch a 163-160 victory for his team. In this game, Curry showed off his sharp-shooting prowess by scoring 16 three-pointers, the most ever scored in an All-Star game.
Curry was only two points from breaking Anthony Davis’ previous scoring record of 52 points, which was later broken by Jayson Tatum in 2023. For such a stellar performance, Curry was also named the All-Star MVP.
Jayson Tatum – 55 points (2023)
In the 2023 All-Star Game, Jayson Tatum created history by breaking Anthony Davis’ record and became the highest scorer in the history of an NBA All-Star Game.
Tatum posted 55 points for Team Giannis, subsequently leading the team to a victory against Team LeBron on a 184-175 scoreline. Following such a remarkable performance, Tatum was named the All-Star MVP of that game.
