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minutes played, Bird took the Celtics to the Eastern finals, which they lost to Philadelphia, and became the league's Rookie of The Year in 1980.

Larry Bird spent his entire 13 NBA season with the Celtics, scoring a total of 21,791 points while averaging 24.3 points per game. His team won three NBA championships, with him twice being voted most valuable player in the finals. He was also voted league MVP three times.

Bird had the ability to score with remarkable accuracy from anywhere on the court.
He was a gifted shooter, averaging close to 50 percent field goal percentage over his career. His 87 percent free throw average is ninth best of all time, and he was deadly from three point range, nailing nearly 40 percent of his attempts.

Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is one of the most exciting players ever to perform in the NBA. At only six feet tall, he has the uncanny ability to create non-traditional shots with his quickness and ball handling wizardry. After only two seasons at Georgetown University, he was drafted number one by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1996 NBA draft. That year, he lead the team in scoring with a 23.5 points per game average, and eventually won Rookie of The Year honors.

His career has been highlighted with winning the league's most valuable player award in 2001, when he also led the 76ers to the NBA finals. Along the way, Iverson earned his second scoring title while also leading the league in steals.

Midway through the 2006-2007 season, Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets, where he continues to be a fan favorite. He has scored 22,431 points through 11 NBA seasons, a total that continues to rise with each game. His 27.8 points per game average ranks third best of all time, and he has lead the league in scoring twice during his career.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

This list would not be complete without the names of other players whose scoring has lead to the success of the their teams.

Julius "Dr. J" Erving
Although Erving scored a total of 30,026 points over 16 years, first five years as professional were spent with the American Basketball Association. He was considered one of the most exciting players in basketball history, and if not for his tenure in the ABA, he would rank as one to top five scorers of all time in NBA.

Karl Malone
Second leading scorer of all time with 36,928 points over 19 seasons. Led the Utah Jazz to several divisional finals, but the two time NBA most valuable player retired after playing one year with the Lakers without having ever won a championship.

Moses Malone
The first player ever to go straight from high school into professional basketball, Malone also began his career in the ABA. He scored a total of 27,409 career points in 21 seasons, winning a NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. He was voted the league's MVP in 1979, 1982, and 1983.

Shaquille O'Neal
In the midst of his 17th NBA season, Shaq has already amassed 25,988 career points and a 25.5 point per game average. Although playing hurt, with minimum scoring output over the last three years, he still reigns as one of the most dominate players in history.

Kobe Bryant
Playing in his 12th NBA season, all with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant is the youngest player to ever eclipse the 20,000 point scoring plateau, gaining 21,023 as of March, 2008. He has the ability to score point in bunches, and is averaging 24.9 points per game over his career. At only 29 years old, expect him to be near the top of the all time rankings in total points before his career is over.

Learn more about this author, Terry Marsh.
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