There’s no real way to determine that, considering the different rules, eras and styles of basketball, so I came up with a method that is objective as possible. The players were ranked one through six on all six of the categories you see above except blocks and steals, where the eligible players were ranked one through four. Based on the average of those rankings, I compiled the ranking of the top win-streak player of all time. It’s not scientific, but here’s how it looks:
| Ranking | Points | FG% | Reb | Ast | Stl | Block | Average | Rank |
| LeBron | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Shaq | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2.5 | 1 |
| McGrady | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4.17 | 5 |
| Garnett | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3.67 | 3 |
| Chamberlain | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | NA | NA | 3 | 2 |
| Alcindor | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | NA | NA | 3.75 | 4 |
The ranking is certainly inexact because all the categories are weighted evenly and two major stats were not kept when Chamberlain and Alcindor were leading their teams to epic winning streaks, but it’s not really designed to be scientific. O’Neal averaged out the best in this list, with LeBron and Wilt tied for second.
So what we’re currently witnessing with LeBron James and the Miami Heat is one of the greatest performances in the history of professional basketball.
So just enjoy watching and take it all in.
You never know when you’ll see another streak like this one.
Shlomo Sprung loves advanced statistics and the way they explain what happens on the court. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and a writer for Football.com. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. His website is SprungOnSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
Great article, with one exception. The big guns for the 1971-72 Lakers were Jerry West and Gail Goodrich. I remember this well as I was an 18 year old backup college point guard and lifelong Laker fan (first game 1958 Minneapolis Armory). I do not have access to game-by-game assists and rebounds, but with that in mind, here we go. Jerry West, at the age of 33, averaged 25.9 ppg during the 33 game streak. He averaged 25.8 for the season. During the streak, West had a high of 45 in a 124-11 defeat of the Celtics, and a low of 10 during a 130-108 blowout of Portland. He topped 30 points eight times. It should be noted that West averaged 9.7 assists for the season, and the 3 point show did not exist. As for Gail Goodrich, at the age of 28, topped West (and Lebron James) with a 26.7 ppg average during the streak. He averaged 25.9 for the season. During the streak, Goodrich had a high of 42 during a 125-120 win at Houston, and a low of 12, during a 122-106 win at Seattle. He topped 30 points ten times (40+ twice). Once again, no three point show available for Goodrich. Over and out.