“Averaged 25 at 40 years old with the Wizards when he just came back randomly” – Austin Rivers is certain Jordan would be the league’s all-time scorer if he didn’t retire originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When fans discuss what an ideal scorer in the NBA should look like, it’s hard not to visualize Michael Jordan, as he led the league in scoring in 10 of his first 13 seasons. He established a level of dominance that makes him the gold standard for what a lethal scorer should be. Interestingly, that level of thorough dominance has eventually convinced Austin Rivers that if MJ hadn’t stepped away from the game during his prime, he would’ve been the NBA’s all-time leading scorer by a wide margin.
Advertisement
But does that claim actually hold up?
Rivers on what Jordan would’ve achieved had he not taken a break
In the 1992-93 season, Jordan averaged 32.9 points per game while increasing his field goal attempts compared to the previous two seasons. Had he played in the 1993-94 campaign, it is reasonable to assume that Mike’s scoring average could have been even higher. Similarly, in his first full season back in 1995-96, Jordan logged over 30 points per game, so if he did play more regular-season games in the 94-’95 campaign, he would’ve easily registered a higher scoring average than 26.9 points per game.
Advertisement
Then, by the ’97-98 season (his final stint with the Chicago Bulls) Jordan was averaging 28.7 points per game. Even during his tenure with the Washington Wizards in 2001-02, he maintained a solid scoring average of 22.9 points per game. So, while his averages during the years he retired for the second time may have been slightly lower, it is plausible that he would have still crossed the 25-points-per-game mark in each of those three missed seasons.
Moreover, Rivers’ claim gains credibility when looking at the statistical comparisons between Jordan and the players who have surpassed his scoring total. For instance, despite Kobe Bryant playing five seasons more than Mike, he scored only 1.351 points more than the five-time MVP. Similarly, Karl Malone played 404 more games yet outscored Jordan by just 4,636 points. Thus, Mike would have easily scored more than these players had played a similar number of games.
“Kevin (Durant) is not what a scorer looks like. Michael and Kobe were. Bro, if Michael played 20-something years, he’d probably be No. 1 in scoring. If he didn’t take two years off baseball, a year or whatever it was to play baseball, and then also retire early… Michael averaged 25 at 40 years with the Wizards when he came back just randomly and then retired again,” Rivers said. “So, if you’re telling me if he never took a break and just played all those years through… he would be No. 1. It’s not even up for debate.”
Advertisement
LeBron would’ve still been the all-time leading scorer
While these stats do support Rivers’ bold claim, it is important to note the counterargument as well: Jordan’s hiatuses may have contributed to preserving his physical condition, thereby sustaining his high level of performance. Furthermore, with LeBron James having scored 3,797 more points than Kareem Abdul Jabbar in just two additional games, one might question whether Jordan, even at the 40,000-point threshold, could have retained the top spot.
Advertisement
That being said, Rivers’ argument does seem logically sound, but is unprovable. Nevertheless, what remains certain is that if Mike hadn’t missed so many seasons in his career and played continuously, the six-time Finals MVP would have definitely ranked higher in the NBA’s all-time scoring chart.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.