NBA Records - Old Era & Modern Era

[Deuce Bigalow]

The 1980-81 season marked the first time the NBA averaged less than 90 FGA per game for a season since 1954-55. From 1955-56 to 1979-80, the NBA was averaging 91-109 FGA per game. The NBA averaged over 100 FGA per game 9 seasons from 1957-58 to 1967-68. The league average FGA per game from 1980-81 to 2012-13 was between 78.2-88.4. With the exception of the '99 lockout season, the NBA from 1980-81 to 2012-13 has not seen a difference greater than 10 FGA in any given non-lockout season. I have decided to group two different eras apart from each other in order to differentiate the differences in pace. Since there were two decades of the '50s and '60s which had a gap of 20-30 FGA per game average compared to the '90s and '00s, I think that it is fair to seperate the two eras where there would be a similar pace, and make the numbers comparable to their own era.

NBA Records
Old Era--1946-47 to 1979-80
Modern Era--1980-81 to present

Regular Season
*Points, game
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 100
Modern Era - Kobe Bryant, 81

*Points, season
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 4029
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 3041

*Points, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 31419
Modern Era - Karl Malone, 36928

*Points per game, season
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 50.36
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 37.09

*Points per game, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 30.07
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 30.12

*60 point games, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 32
Modern Era - Kobe Bryant, 5

*50 point games, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 118
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 31

*50 point games, season
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 45
Modern Era - Kobe Bryant, 10

*50 point games, consecutive
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 7
Modern Era - Kobe Bryant, 4

*40 point games, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 271
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 173

*40 point games, season
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 63
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 37

*40 point games, consecutive
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain 2x, 14
Modern Era - Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant, 9

*30 point games, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 515
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 562

*30 point games, season
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 81
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 67

*30 point game, consecutive
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 65
Modern Era - Kobe Bryant, 16

*Rebounds, game
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 55
Modern Era - Charles Oakley, 35

*Rebounds, season
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 2149
Modern Era - Dennis Rodman, 1530

*Rebounds, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 23924
Modern Era - Karl Malone, 14968

*Rebounds per game, season
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 27.20
Modern Era - Dennis Rodman, 18.66

*Rebounds per game, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 22.89
Modern Era - Dennis Rodman, 13.12

*10 rebound games, consecutive
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 467
Modern Era - Kevin Love, 56

*15 rebound games, consecutive
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 186
Modern Era - Dennis Rodman, 24

*20 rebound games, consecutive
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain 2x, 21
Modern Era - Dennis Rodman 2x, 7

*Assists, game
Old Era - Kevin Porter, 29
Modern Era - Scott Skiles, 30

*Assists, season
Old Era - Kevin Porter, 1099
Modern Era - John Stockton, 1164

*Assists, career
Old Era - Oscar Robertson, 9887
Modern Era - John Stockton, 15806

*Assists per game, season
Old Era - Kevin Porter, 13.40
Modern Era - John Stockton, 14.54

*Assists per game, career
Old Era - Oscar Robertson, 9.51
Modern Era - Magic Johnson, 11.19

*10 assist games, career
Modern Era - John Stockton, 863

*15 assist games, career
Old Era - Oscar Robertson, 105
Modern Era - John Stockton, 292

*10 assist games, consecutive
Modern Era - John Stockton, 46

*15 assist games, consecutive
Modern Era- John Stockton, 12

Playoffs
*Points, game
Old Era - Elgin Baylor, 61
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 63

*Points, year
Old Era - Jerry West, 562
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 759

*Points, career
Old Era - Jerry West, 4457
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 5987

*Points per game, year
Old Era - Jerry West, 40.64
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 43.67

*Points per game, career
Old Era - Jerry West, 29.13
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 33.45

*50 point games, career
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 4
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 8

*40 point games, career
Old Era - Jerry West, 20
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 38

*30 point games, career
Old Era - Jerry West, 74
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 109

*Rebounds, game
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 41
Modern Era - Hakeem Olajuwon, 26

*Rebounds, year
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 444
Modern Era - Tim Duncan, 369

*Rebounds, career
Old Era - Bill Russell, 4104
Modern Era - Tim Duncan, 2522

*Rebounds per game, year
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 30.20
Modern Era - Kevin Garnett, 18.67

*Rebounds per game, career
Old Era - Bill Russell - 24.87
Modern Era - Dwight Howard, 14.11

*10 rebound games, career
Old Era - Bill Russell, 164
Modern Era - Tim Duncan, 153

*10 rebound games, consecutive
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 160
Modern Era - Shaquille O'Neal - 22

*Assists, game
Old Era - Bob Cousy 2x, Walt Frazier, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Norm Nixon, 19
Modern Era - Magic Johnson & John Stockton, 24

*Assists, year
Old Era - Walt Frazier, 156
Modern Era - Magic Johnson, 303

*Assists, career
Old Era - Jerry West, 970
Modern Era - Magic Johnson, 2346

*Assists per game, year
Old Era - Norm Nixon, 11.75
Modern Era - Magic Johnson, 15.21

*Assists per game, career
Old Era - Oscar Robertson, 8.94
Modern Era - Magic Johnson, 12.35

Awards
*Championships
Old Era - Boston Celtics, 13
Modern Era - Los Angeles Lakers, 9

*Rings
Old Era - Bill Russell, 11
Modern Era - Robert Horry, 7

*Most Valuable Player Awards
Old Era - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 6
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 5

*All-NBA teams
Old Era - Jerry West, Bob Cousy, Dolph Schayes, 12
Modern Era - Kobe Bryant, 15

*All-NBA First teams
Old Era - Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Bob Pettit, Bob Cousy, 10
Modern Era - Karl Malone & Kobe Bryant, 11

*All-Star teams
Old Era - Jerry West, 14
Modern Era - Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant, 15

*Scoring titles
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 7
Modern Era - Michael Jordan, 10

*Rebounding titles
Old Era - Wilt Chamberlain, 11
Modern Era - Dennis Rodman, 7

*Assist titles
Old Era - Bob Cousy, 8
Modern Era - John Stockton, 9

[Sarcastic]

So basically 11 of the Celtics titles, and 7 of the Lakers don't really count because they happened in the old era?

[Deuce Bigalow]

So basically 11 of the Celtics titles, and 7 of the Lakers don't really count because they happened in the old era?
I definitely said that.

[Sarcastic]

I definitely said that.

If your going to do it for records, you have to do it for titles too.


There's no reason to try to break the records up between eras. Even baseball which has distinctly different periods doesn't sully its records. Cy Young is still the wins leader, despite playing in an era when he pitched every day. 511 wins is the record, and you don't see Verlander or Kershaw stans trying to downplay it the way you do.

How many people run around saying Jim Brown's records should be viewed differently because he played football in the 50s when linemen were 250 pounds?

[hitman24]

that's nuts. it's more like wilt vs. new era.

[Psycho]

*Biggest Heart
Old Era - Bill Russell
Modern Era - Lebron James

[CelticBaller]

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/279338/thumbs/r-KAREEM-ABDULJABBAR-STATUE-large570.jpg

[Deuce Bigalow]

If your going to do it for records, you have to do it for titles too.


There's no reason to try to break the records up between eras. Even baseball which has distinctly different periods doesn't sully its records. Cy Young is still the wins leader, despite playing in an era when he pitched every day. 511 wins is the record, and you don't see Verlander or Kershaw stans trying to downplay it the way you do.

How many people run around saying Jim Brown's records should be viewed differently because he played football in the 50s when linemen were 250 pounds?
I'm not downplaying anything. I seperated the eras not based on that one is "weaker" than the other, but that the pace was different. :confusedshrug:

[Legends66NBA7]

The modern era starterd in the 1979-80 season.

[WayOfWade]

Dang, Kareem pretty much gets screwed over by all this.

[mugiwara]

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/279338/thumbs/r-KAREEM-ABDULJABBAR-STATUE-large570.jpg

:applause:

[Scholar]

Nice thread, OP.

[Flash31]

that's nuts. it's more like wilt vs. new era.

its basically Wilt,Kareem,Russell versus the rest of the NBA in History
bETWEEN THOSE 3 THEY HOLD 19 TITLES,MOST POINTS IN HISTORY,most rebounds,quickest to 30,000 pts,almost all the statistical pts,rebounding,longevity,winning,defending,dominan t records

Greatest Scorer,Greatest Rebounder,Greatest Defender

TOP 3 GOAT

Kareem has most points,Wilt has quickest to 30,000,Russell won everything

[LAZERUSS]

The modern era starterd in the 1979-80 season.

Oh it did? Look, you are one of the most knowledgeable and bright posters here. But...

The first four MVPs of the 80's were players who played in the 70's (and even 60's.) The first five scoring champions were from players who played in the 70's. The first six rebounding champions were players who played in the 70's. The first five FG% champions were by players who had played in the 70's.

Moses Malone averaged 24.5 ppg and 17.6 rpg in 78-79. The next year, 79-80, he averaged 25.8 ppg and 14.5 rpg. Where was this significant change that took place in 79-80. Hell, he had seasons in the 80's in which he sscored 27.8 ppg and even 31.1 ppg, as well as multiple seasons of 14-15+ rpg in the 80's.

How about Kareem? In 78-79 he averaged 23.8 ppg, 12.8 rpg, and shot .577 from the field. In his 79-80 season, he averaged 24.8 pp, 10.8 rpg, and shot .604. In 80-81 he averaged 26.2 ppg, which was identical to 76-77 season average. Again, what changed?

Julius Erving? In 78-79 he averaged 23.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and shot .491. In 79-80 he averaged 26.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and shot .519.

Ask players like Artis Gilmore or Adrian Dantley if the NBA was stronger in the 80's than the 70's. A prime 27 year old Gilmore averaged 18.6 ppg on .522 shooting in the 76-77 season. A 35 year old Gilmore, in 84-85, averaged 19.1 pp on .623 shooting. BTW, in 78-79, he shot .575 from the floor. In 79-80 he shot .595. Then, in 80-81, he jumped up to .670.

Dantley's high ppg season before 79-80 came in 77-78, at 21.5 ppg, and on .512 shooting. In 79-80 he vaulted to 28.0 ppg and on .576 shooting. From 80-81 thru 83-84, he had four straight 30+ ppg seasons, and on FG%'s ranging from .559 to .580.

George Gervin? Languished in the ABA from the 72-73 season thru the 75-76 season. His high scoring season in the ABA was 23.4 ppg. He moved to the NBA after the merger in 76-77. In 78-79 he averaged 29.6 ppg. In 79-80 (your "new era"), he jumped to 33.1 ppg (and would have a 32.3 ppg season a couple of years later.)


BTW, this arbitrary 89 FGA limit seems ridiculous as well. Bob McAdoo had a 34.5 ppg season (in an NBA that averaged 102.6 ppg) in a league that averaged 91 FGAs, and in the middle of the 70's. Moses Malone's 17.6 rpg season came in a league that averaged 92 FGAs.

The facts were, aside from the advent of the 3-pt shot, which was used very little in the 80's, the NBA was no different in the 80's than what it had been in the 70's. And the 70's were only SLIGHTLY more "inflated" than the 60's.

In any case, anyone can come with some time-line, or era, and claim that THAT was the "modern NBA."

[Legends66NBA7]

Lazeruss, I think I should have clarified as to why I consider the 79-80 season as the modern era. It's due to the inception of the 3 point line. My take on it is more to how casual fans would know on how the current NBA came to be. Like you mentioned, 3 point shooting wasn't very prominent early on in the 80's, since most players didn't really practice it as there was no real reason too.

Please understand that by me stating that 79-80 to present is the modern era is by no way insulting or slanting the past great players that came before that season. Infact, I don't make new record for the two different eras either. A great player would be a great player, regardless of an era.