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April 20, 1998
Amazing as it is that Chicago's Michael Jordan has won another National Basketball Association scoring title -- his 10th, incidentally -- the truly stunning aspect of Jordan's feat lies in the fact he accomplished it at the advanced basketball age of 35. Jordan is three years older than the next-oldest scoring champion, Jerry West, who was 32 when he averaged 31.2 points for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1969-70. Jordan is also one of only two individuals in NBA history to lead a statistical category 10 or more times. Wilt Chamberlain, who led the league in rebounding 11 times, is the other. Jordan's more geriatric teammate, the rainbow-hued Dennis Rodman, has done something almost as remarkable as Jordan. Just days away from his 37th birthday, Rodman has not only won the rebounding title for the seventh consecutive year -- a league record -- he is the second-oldest rebounding champion in NBA history. Chamberlain was beyond his 37th birthday in 1973 when he won the 11th and final rebound title of what would be a Hall of Fame career. To put Rodman's achievement in another perspective, consider that Bill Russell won the last of his four rebounding titles at the age of 31. Moses Malone won the last of his six rebound crowns at age 30. What's most incredible about Rodman is that he has won every one of his seven rebounding crowns SINCE turning 30. Jordan, of course, has now won four of his 10 scoring titles in his 30s (Wayne Gretzky won only two of his 10 National Hockey League scoring titles while in his 30s). The following players are the oldest in league history to win a major NBA statistical title. For purposes of this chart, we have eliminated "minutes played" and "disqualifications," confining the survey to include scoring, rebounds, shooting percentages, blocked shots, assists and steals.
YEAR PLAYER AGE STAT LED 1971 John Green 37 FG% 1973 Wilt Chamberlain 37 FG% 1973 Wilt Chamberlain 37 Rebounds 1970 John Green 36 FG% 1998 Dennis Rodman 36 Rebounds 1980 Rick Barry 35 FT% 1998 Michael Jordan 35 Scoring Jordan and Rodman are the only different players from the same team to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same year more than once -- and they have accomplished it three times (1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98). Not even Michael Jordan is going to overtake Wilt Chamberlain in terms of total major statistical championships won. In addition to leading the league in rebounding 11 times, Chamberlain led in field-goal percentage nine times, scoring seven times and assists once, making him the only center in history to lead the NBA in assists (1967-68). On the other hand, you've got to wonder who else, besides Chamberlain and Jordan, will ever reach double figures in statistical championships won. Only seven players in history have won eight or more, including Rodman, who (and not many people remember this) led the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1988-89 while playing for Detroit.
PLAYER - NUMBER TITLES WON Three other players won seven statistical crowns: Neil Johnston (scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage), Bill Sharman (free throw percentage) and Magic Johnson (assists, steals, free throw percentage). Chamberlain obviously won crowns in the greatest variety of statistical categories. At different points in his career, he led the NBA in scoring, rebounds, field goal percentage and assists. San Antonio's David Robinson is the only active player to have led three different statistical categories.
PLAYER - NUMBER TITLES WON |