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Jordan, Jabbar, Chamberlain are names often heard when debating the greatest scorers in NBA history. The likes of these legends will be difficult to surpass. Beyond the obvious offensive weapons, however, are players that transcended the game with the type of play that inspired a generation to come.

Before the invention, nay the perversion, of the 3-point line, the NBA had prolific scorers like George Gervin and Bob McAdoo. Also, Adrian Dantley and Bernard King had a tenacity that turned them into scoring machines inside of that arc. These oft forgotten superstars weren't the biggest of men, or the smallest. Yet, each had special sets of skills that enabled them to light up defenses for years with amazing basketball acumen.

Take Dantley, a fundamentally sound but undersized post player. He quietly lead the NBA in scoring. Averaging more than 30 points per game in four straight seasons, he was a career 54% shooter. You can consider 6'5" small the way he took the ball to the rack and earned his points, thanks in part to his ability to draw fouls. He lead the lead in free throws made during five seasons and shot nearly 82% for his career from the charity stripe.

Another unusual player who had a knack for scoring was McAdoo. Like Dantley, he kept a suitcase packed as he made his way around the NBA as a potent offensive threat wherever he played. He was most memorable in his years as a Buffalo Brave. The 6'9" power forward slash center lead the league in scoring three consecutive seasons, averaging over 30 points a game each year. His inside-out play included a flawed shooting style that obscured his view of the basket, but still managed to deliver as a career 50% shooter.

The small forward with long arms and most memorable for wearing tape on two dislocated fingers during one memorable playoff run was Bernard King. He became a scoring champion as a New York Knick. An injury shortened his career to just 874 games, while nearly amassing 20,000 points. In 1984, King was the first to have back-to-back 50-point performances. He was unstoppable against the Detroit Pistons, even with injured digits and the flu. He averaged 42 a game in that series before turning his attention to the Boston Celtics in a series that end the Knicks' playoff run after seven games.

With his smooth style of play, the Iceman' Gervin had some legendary scoring outbursts in his day. He earned scoring titles, but none more memorable than the day he barely edged out David Thompson with a 63-point performance. Thompson dropped 73 earlier in the day. So, Gervin would log just 33 minutes to take back the scoring crown. However, had he stayed in the game, could he have topped the NBA record of 100 points in a game? In just the second quarter, he poured in 33, but sat out most of the second half. Gervin scored over 20,000 points in just 10 NBA seasons, preceded by four years in the old ABA. By 1986, he was overseas averaging over 25 points a season before finishing his playing career.

In terms of total points scored, the leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had longevity and a unique style of play that will likely never be seen again. Wilt Chamberlain was undeniably the most powerful force in the NBA during his era. The 'Stilt' was ahead of his time with size and athletic prowess that seemed an unfair edge. Meanwhile, Michael Jordan stands as the greatest scorer of all time, you can't argue that. He seemed to will that ball into the hole, while willing his team to six NBA championships.

Learn more about this author, Brian Keith Compton.
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