Shai Gilgeous-Alexander targets Wilt Chamberlain NBA scoring record
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will attempt to break Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old NBA record for consecutive 20-point games when he faces the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
The reigning NBA MVP has scored at least 20 points in 126 successive matches, tying a landmark previously thought to be unbreakable.
His remarkable marathon of consistency began on 1 November 2024 during a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Since that initial performance, the dynamic playmaker has secured both the regular-season and Finals MVP awards.
Chasing a mythical milestone
Chamberlain set the original 126-game benchmark over six decades ago.
The late Hall of Fame centre achieved statistical feats so dominant that the current Thunder star recently described him as “almost like a mythical creature”.
Before this extraordinary streak began, the closest any player had come to the record was Chamberlain himself with a separate 92-game run.
Oscar Robertson sits third on the all-time list after managing 79 consecutive matches with 20 or more points.
Dominating the modern era
The Canadian international’s scoring output completely eclipses his modern contemporaries.
Kevin Durant holds the closest 21st-century streak, having reached 72 games during his tenures with Oklahoma City and Golden State.
Late Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant is the only other modern player to reach the halfway mark, achieving 63 consecutive games between December 2005 and November 2006.
“My whole life is consistent, everything I do.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
By contrast, Kawhi Leonard holds the second-longest active streak across the league with a comparatively modest 42 games.
Sustaining elite performance
This unprecedented offensive output highlights a profound era of dominance for the Oklahoma City franchise.
The lightning-fast guard remains the heavy favourite to claim another MVP award for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.
Eclipsing Chamberlain’s legendary benchmark against the Celtics would firmly cement his legacy among basketball’s greatest historical scorers.