Highest scoring NBA players born in New York
Basketball has grown into a truly global game, with players from every corner of the world now filling NBA rosters. But the league's American roots still run deep — and many of its top scorers got their start in hometown gyms and high school courts across the United States.
Stacker compiled a ranking of the highest scoring NBA players born in New York using data from Basketball-Reference.com. Players were ranked according to their total NBA career points. Only players who scored at least 500 total career points in the NBA were considered. Games played, minutes played, and career averages were provided as supplementary insights. Data is as of October 29, 2025.
Read on to see which stars and hometown legends top the list for New York.
#20. Charlie Scott
- City: New York
- Years played: 1971-1980 (10 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 717 (25,524 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 20.7 PTS, 4.0 REB, 4.9 AST
- Total career points: 14,837
#19. Sam Perkins
- City: Brooklyn
- Years played: 1985-2001 (17 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,286 (36,598 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 11.9 PTS, 6.0 REB, 1.5 AST
- Total career points: 15,324
#18. Tobias Harris
- City: Islip
- Years played: 2012-2026 (15 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 974 (30,854 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 16.1 PTS, 6.2 REB, 2.4 AST
- Total career points: 15,651
#17. Randy Smith
- City: Bellport
- Years played: 1972-1983 (12 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 976 (31,444 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 16.7 PTS, 3.7 REB, 4.6 AST
- Total career points: 16,262
#16. Stephon Marbury
- City: Brooklyn
- Years played: 1997-2009 (13 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 846 (31,891 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 19.3 PTS, 3.0 REB, 7.6 AST
- Total career points: 16,297
#15. Billy Cunningham
- City: Brooklyn
- Years played: 1966-1976 (11 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 770 (26,844 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 21.2 PTS, 10.4 REB, 4.3 AST
- Total career points: 16,310
#14. Tiny Archibald
- City: New York
- Years played: 1971-1984 (13 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 876 (31,159 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 18.8 PTS, 2.3 REB, 7.4 AST
- Total career points: 16,481
#13. Elton Brand
- City: Cortlandt Manor
- Years played: 2000-2016 (17 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,058 (34,910 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 15.9 PTS, 8.5 REB, 2.1 AST
- Total career points: 16,827
#12. Bob Cousy
- City: New York
- Years played: 1951-1970 (14 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 924 (30,165 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 18.4 PTS, 5.2 REB, 7.5 AST
- Total career points: 16,960
#11. Rudy Gay
- City: Brooklyn
- Years played: 2007-2023 (17 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,120 (34,561 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 15.8 PTS, 5.6 REB, 2.0 AST
- Total career points: 17,642
#10. Lenny Wilkens
- City: Brooklyn
- Years played: 1961-1975 (15 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,077 (38,064 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 16.5 PTS, 4.7 REB, 6.7 AST
- Total career points: 17,772
#9. Chris Mullin
- City: New York
- Years played: 1986-2001 (16 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 986 (32,163 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 18.2 PTS, 4.1 REB, 3.5 AST
- Total career points: 17,911
#8. Dolph Schayes
- City: New York
- Years played: 1950-1964 (15 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 996 (29,800 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 18.5 PTS, 12.1 REB, 3.1 AST
- Total career points: 18,438
#7. Bob Lanier
- City: Buffalo
- Years played: 1971-1984 (14 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 959 (32,103 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 20.1 PTS, 10.1 REB, 3.1 AST
- Total career points: 19,248
#6. Clifford Robinson
- City: Buffalo
- Years played: 1990-2007 (18 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,380 (42,561 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 14.2 PTS, 4.6 REB, 2.2 AST
- Total career points: 19,591
#5. Bernard King
- City: Brooklyn
- Years played: 1978-1993 (14 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 874 (29,417 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 22.5 PTS, 5.8 REB, 3.3 AST
- Total career points: 19,655
#4. Carmelo Anthony
- City: Brooklyn
- Years played: 2004-2022 (19 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,260 (43,514 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 22.5 PTS, 6.2 REB, 2.7 AST
- Total career points: 28,289
#3. Julius Erving
- City: East Meadow
- Years played: 1972-1987 (16 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,243 (45,227 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 24.2 PTS, 8.5 REB, 4.2 AST
- Total career points: 30,026
#2. Michael Jordan
- City: Brooklyn
- Years played: 1985-2003 (15 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,072 (41,011 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 30.1 PTS, 6.2 REB, 5.3 AST
- Total career points: 32,292
#1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- City: New York
- Years played: 1970-1989 (20 seasons in the NBA)
- Games played: 1,560 (57,446 total minutes played)
- Per game averages: 24.6 PTS, 11.2 REB, 3.6 AST
- Total career points: 38,387
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 41 states.
