The Basketball Reference database goes all the back to the 1946-47 season. That’s goes all the way back to when the National Basketball Association (NBA) was still known at the Basketball Association of America (BAA). That’s 74 seasons worth of history including this current season.
This year, we’re witness to two players putting together historic seasons.
Out of all 74 years of NBA basketball, only two players have played fewer than 31 minutes per game and are scoring more than 24 points per game.
The first player is pretty easy to guess. It’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the Milwaukee Bucks wage their epic season, Antetokounmpo is making some history himself. Entering play on Monday, Antetokounmpo is scoring 29.9 points and playing 30.9 minutes per game. He’s also averaging 13.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 blocks and a steal per game. It’s all but a lock that Antetokounmpo will repeat as NBA MVP.
The second player? That one might not be guessed so easy, which makes it even more of a surprise.
New Orleans Pelicans rookie forward Zion Williamson is currently joining Antetokounmpo in the historic feat. Williamson is averaging 24.1 points in just 28.9 minutes per game. He’s shooting 59.3% to get to those numbers. It’s safe to say he’s made an impact in his 15 NBA games.
Now, consider that Antetokounmpo only turned 25 years old in mid-December and Williamson won’t turn 20 until early-July. These two superstar big men are already making history and have plenty of time left to continue rewriting the record books.