Michael Jordan’s 43 points against the Nets in 2003 remain the most points ever scored in an NBA game by a player 40 years or older.
When it comes to NBA history, very few performances by players over the age of 40 stand out. Only five times has a player over 40 scored at least 30 points in a game, and only 14 times has a player that age scored at least 25 points.
As we reflect on the top scoring performances of the NBA’s elders, we can also look ahead and forecast where LeBron James will definitely rank on this list as he approaches 40 years old in December 2024 and continues to play at his peak. After all, he is chasing the player who is at the top of the list.
- Michael Jordan – 43 points (40 Years, 4 Days)
Michael Jordan returned for one final hurrah in 2002-03 after retiring for the Washington Wizards in 2001-02 and suffering an injury that derailed his season. Michael Jordan led the Wizards to an 89-86 victory over the New Jersey Nets on February 21, 2004, only four days after turning 40, creating NBA history in the process. Jordan scored 43 points on 18-30 shooting from the field and 7-8 at the foul line. He also added 10 rebounds and 4 steals.
- Michael Jordan – 39 points (40 years and 20 days).
Jordan returned to Madison Square Garden for the final time against the New York Knicks, just 16 days after setting a new record against the Nets. This final game performance is one of Jordan’s many iconic performances in the building. Although the Wizards lost 87-86, Jordan scored 39 points on 13-22 shooting from the field and 13-15 from the foul line, providing Knicks fans with a farewell performance to remember him by. Jordan’s fourth 30-point performance in 16 days.
- Michael Jordan – 35 Points (40 Years, 10 Days)
Michael Jordan made another attempt at the record against the Knicks just six days after breaking it in New Jersey. Jordan led the Wizards to a 100-98 victory over the Houston Rockets on February 27th, scoring 35 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Jordan was 15-26 from the field and 5-7 from the free throw line for the 28-29 Wizards at the time.
- Michael Jordan – 30 Points (40 Years, 6 Days)
Michael Jordan’s next highest-scoring performance came during a 16-day period in which he recorded four 30-point games and a 40-point game after turning 40 years old in 2003. Jordan scored 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals while shooting 15-26 from the field against a highly good Dallas Mavericks squad. Teammate Jerry Stackhouse also scored 30 points, but the Wizards were defeated 106-101 by the Mavericks.
- Dirk Nowitzki – 30 points (40 Years, 294 Days)
6. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 26 points (40 years, 225 days)
In NBA history, a player above the age of 40 has scored 26 points seven times. The first time this happened, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set a new NBA record that he shattered four days later. Kareem led the Lakers to a 127-119 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles, scoring 26 points on 11-19 shooting. For 15 years, this was the second-highest scoring mark by a 40-year-old in NBA history, only surpassed by four other players.
- Robert Parish – 26 Points (40 Years, 79 Days
Robert Parish became the first player over 40 to match the 26-point mark at the start of the 1993-94 season. Parish, who is entering his 18th NBA season and 14th with the Celtics, has had some memorable experiences. Parish led the Celtics to a victory over the Nets in November 1993, tallying 26 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks. He shot 12-14 from the field and had an effect on both sides of the ball in the win.
- Robert Parish – 26 points (40 years and 139 days).
Just two months after his previous 26-point outburst in the 1993-94 season, Robert Parish would match it against the Denver Nuggets. Parish led the Celtics to another 105-100 victory, scoring 26 points and nine rebounds on 11-22 shooting from the field. Parish finished the season with the Celtics, averaging 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, capping a storied career in Boston.
- John Stockton – 26 Points (40 Years, 18 Days
After Parish in 1993-94, no NBA player beyond 40 had scored 26 points in a game. That was until John Stockton of the Utah Jazz’s second-to-last season in the NBA, in 2001-02. Stockton put on a memorable performance in a 109-101 away triumph over the Golden State Warriors just two weeks after turning 40. Stockton led the Jazz with 26 points, 9 assists, and 4 steals on an efficient 7-11 shooting and 12-12 from the foul line.
- Michael Jordan: 26 points (40 years, 37 days)
Jordan would score precisely 26 points twice during his final season in 2002-03. The first of these games would be a close contest against the Seattle SuperSonics. Jordan won a duel with a youthful Ray Allen, scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds on 12-22 shooting. Allen got just 17 points in the Wizards’ 80-74 victory.
- Michael Jordan – 26 points (40 Years, 50 Days)
Jordan’s second exact 26-point performance that season would come just two weeks later, against an old rival. Michael Jordan defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 8, 2003, with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals on 10-19 shooting in a 100-91 victory. It would be Jordan’s final of 42 career victories against Cleveland.
- Manu Ginobili – 26 points (40 Years, 163 Days)
After Jordan’s final 26-point game in 2003, it would be 15 years until another 40-year-old surpassed that milestone in the NBA. Manu Ginobili, in his 16th and final season with the San Antonio Spurs, would be the player to reach that number. Ginobili had 26 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 27 minutes off the bench in a crushing 111-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in January. Ginobili delivered a classic performance that served as a final reminder of the legacy he was leaving behind.
LeBron James Will Be On This List Next Season
LeBron James, 39, has demonstrated that he is still among the NBA’s finest players, averaging 24.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in 44 games this season. He has had one 40-point game, five 35-point games, and twelve 30-point games. Of course, LeBron does not turn 40 until December 30, 2024, but if he continues to play at this level, he will be in a position to challenge for not one, but several slots on the list above.
Only time will tell if LeBron James is in good health and motivated for his 22nd season in 2024-25. When he finds the names he’s looking for on this list, coupled with playing with his son, it may inspire him to look for another gear one more time before saying goodbye.
