Most Unbreakable NBA Records of All Time

Firstly, the most successful player in NBA history based on the number of championships, is Bill Russell. Russell stands alone as the only player to have won 11 titles to his name, and more rings than fingers to wear. 

The sheer magnitude of this accolade will likely never be topped. Russell played as a center, winning 11 titles from a 13-season career. Not many players can say they’ve reached the final or win a championship, let alone reach double digits. 

He won every single title with the Boston Celtics, though he was initially traded by the St. Louis Hawks when he was drafted in 1956 as the second pick of the 1st round. To this day, he remains second all-time in total rebounds, six decades on from his final year in the sport. 

Russell’s accolades may never be topped, but he was a crucial part of the Celtics team that dominated the late 1950s and 1960s, boasting eight consecutive championships from 1959-1966.

The Celtics had a plethora of talent within their roster in the early periods of the NBA’s history. Not only are eight consecutive championships practically impossible in this day and age, but dominance to this level in any sport is unthinkable.

This period of dominance led to them playing the Minneapolis Lakers (now the Los Angeles Lakers) five times in the finals, starting a feud that even to this day is considered as one of the NBA’s biggest rivalries. 

From a statistical point of view, it’s to the surprise of no one that LeBron James is a key feature in this list. The four-time NBA champion leads the way in total points scored in NBA regular-season history, with his total figure at 41,924 points (and counting!). 

He famously surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s number of 38,387 points in 2023 and now stands alone as the only player to post over 40,000 points. At one point, it seemed like Abdul-Jabbar’s accolade was never going to be topped.

James’ longevity was a key reason as to why this record was eventually eclipsed. The Lakers star recently turned 40 and is still playing at a high-level, and as he is playing in his 22nd NBA season, the record keeps on looking less and less likely to be topped. 

LeBron James//Getty Images

John Stockton’s 19-year career cemented himself as one of the best players of all time. After the point guard joined the Utah Jazz in 1984, he stayed forever loyal to the Salt Lake City organization and even had a street named after him in Utah’s capital.

Stockton famously never picked up serious injuries in his career, completing 16 perfect regular seasons without missing a game. His dedication to his craft saw him rack up 1300 starts and 1504 appearances.

Statistically, across NBA history, he holds records for the most assists and steals. His tally of 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals are very unlikely ever to be topped due to his sheer athleticism and longevity. He holds the single season record of 1,164 assists and a career average of 10.5 assists per game. 

On March 2nd, 1962, an achievement like no other occurred. Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game scoring record in the NBA by scoring 100 points in one match. He represented the Philadelphia Warriors at the time (now the Golden State Warriors), shooting 100 points in a 169-147 win against the New York Knicks.

Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points per game that season. Sadly, for us fans, there was no video footage of the game. The NBA wasn’t recognised or sanctioned as a major sport back in those days, but his achievement won’t ever be replicated.

The closest performance to matching this record was Kobe Bryant in 2006 when he and the Los Angeles Lakers played the Toronto Raptors. Bryant threw 81 points, but it’s evident that no-one will ever top three-digits in one game. 

Chamberlain features in this list once again, as he holds the record for the most rebounds in a game. His statistics place him first, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth of all time, with Bill Russell occupying the other places.

Chamberlain takes up a lot of this list, and these levels are never seen in the game’s modern lexicon. The 1960s basketball period saw rebounds holding far more weight into one player’s prestige, and the game looked completely different to the modern day. 

Back then shooting skills were lower, basketball was a more fast-paced sport, and nowadays a modern NBA player would get fewer minutes on the court due to the regular-season changes. It’s quite a remarkable record to have, and one that will never be bettered anytime soon. 

Dirk Nowitzki is the leading player to represent one basketball organization in NBA history. Nowitzki played his entire 21-year career with the Dallas Mavericks, spanning from 1998 to 2019.

Originally, Nowitzki was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks as the ninth overall pick in the draft, before the franchise opted to trade him to the Mavericks. The German star’s legendary status was cemented when he won the 2011 NBA championship, their only Larry O’Brien trophy.

He is a 14-time NBA All-Star, the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA history and holds numerous franchise records. He shared that his loyalty to the franchise was because of the fans and their support and appreciation. 

Once again LeBron James features on this list. We have already stated his regular season records, but one record that could be beaten is his points record in the post-season. The post-season is what marks a true legend in the sport, and he is no exception to the rule.

James has only won four NBA championships despite playing in ten NBA finals in his career, including eight in a row. He is a big-time player, and at the time of writing, he has accumulated a total of 8,162 playoff points. 

What’s more impressive is that the 40-year-old is the only active player inside the top six with the most points. There is a well-known debate about whether he or Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time – and in this case, he is over 2000+ points ahead of the six-time champion.

Stephen Curry’s effect on the National Basketball League will be studied in the decades to come. Curry revolutionised the game we all love with his 3-point shooting and excellent efficiency.

In addition, he is widely regarded as one of, if not the best, point guard of all time. Curry’s famous season in 2015/16 saw him pick up his first NBA title with the Golden State Warriors, in addition to achieving something no man achieved before him.

Curry’s season saw him become the first player to receive the Most Valued Player (MVP) award, but he won unanimously. All 131 ballots ranked Curry in first place, making him the first and only to achieve this. He had a league-high 40 30-point games, a league-high 13 40-point games and a league-high three 50-point games.