On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain became the only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a game. He actually set eight individual game records that night:
- Most points in a game – 100
- Most points in a half – 59
- Most field goals made in a game – 36
- Most field goal attempts in a game – 63
- Most field goals made in a half – 22
- Most field goals attempted in a half – 37
- Most field goals attempted in a quarter – 21
- Most free throws made in a game – 28 (tied by Adrian Dantley in 1984)
Another incredible aspect of Chamberlain’s scoring prowess (on the court only) is that he has 15 of the top 20 individual scoring games of all time in the NBA. The most points Michael Jordan ever scored in a game, 69, is only good for 11th on that list and is behind 6 Chamberlain efforts. Kobe Bryant scored 81 against Toronto in a 2006 game, which is as close as anyone’s ever been to Wilt’s 100. It will always be near the top of any unbreakable record discussion, but I’d argue it’s not in the top 3 and probably not in the top 5.
In order of increasing likelihood they’ll ever be broken:
- Cy Young’s 749 complete games & 511 wins. Back in his day, sissypants pitchers didn’t get things like “relievers” or “days off” or “normal healthcare”. This record will never, and I mean ever, be broken.
- Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games played. Back in his day, sissypants shortstops didn’t get things like – oh, this wasn’t that long ago. The most impressive thing about this record is that if someone started for the first time on opening day, they wouldn’t break the record until 2028.
- Wayne Gretzky’s 92 goals in 1982. Before this good Canadian boy became an American heathen, he was the best hockey player ever. Alex Ovechkin recently scored 65 in the 07-08 season, and he’s the best scorer in the league right now.
- Pete Rose’s 4,256 career hits. Of players who have retired in the last 30 years, only Paul Molitor has finished within 1,000 hits of Rose. Derek Jeter would need to play seven more seasons at his current hit pace to eclipse the record, which is unlikely.
- Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak. The closest anyone’s been in recent years is 38 consecutive games with a hit by Jimmy Rollins, but conceivably a player could get hot enough in the summer to pull this off. Many think this is completely unbreakable, but I think someone out there will do it one day.
Which records do you think will never be broken in sports?
