Eras

How the NBA game changed the numbers

A 30-point night in 1954 and in 2026 are not the same thing. Rule changes, the three-point line and the speed of the game moved every average. Here are the turning points, each with its source.

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Illustration (AI)

Box Score StoriesThen and now
2.8Three-point attemptsper team per game, 1979–80, the first season
18.1Three-point attemptsper team per game, 2009–10
37.6Three-point attemptsper team per game, 2024–25

Sources below the timeline

Timeline

Rules and record-keeping that changed the game

Some changes moved the game itself, others only what the box score counts. Both matter when you compare eras.

  1. 1946–47
    The first season

    The Basketball Association of America, the league that became the NBA, plays its first season: 11 teams, 60 games each. The Philadelphia Warriors win the title, 4–1 in the final against the Chicago Stags.1

  2. 1949–50
    The NBA gets its name

    On 3 August 1949 the BAA merges with the National Basketball League. The new National Basketball Association starts with 17 teams.2

  3. 1951–52
    A wider lane

    The lane is widened from 6 to 12 feet, because big men such as George Mikan ruled the area under the basket.3

  4. 1954–55
    The 24-second shot clock

    A team must shoot within 24 seconds. Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone and general manager Leo Ferris tried the idea out first4. In the first season with the clock, scoring rose sharply across the league5.

  5. 1964–65
    The lane widens again

    From 12 to 16 feet, to lessen the impact of dominant centres, above all Wilt Chamberlain.3

  6. 1973–74
    Blocks, steals and offensive rebounds are counted

    Before this season the box score had no blocks, no steals and no split between offensive and defensive rebounds.678

  7. 1976–77
    Four ABA teams join

    The Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs come over from the ABA9. The NBA now has 22 teams10.

  8. 1977–78
    Turnovers are counted for players

    Team turnovers had been counted since 1973–74; from this season every player's turnovers are recorded.11

  9. 1979–80
    The three-point line

    Brought in as a one-year trial, 23 feet 9 inches from the basket and 22 feet in the corners. Chris Ford of the Celtics made the first three on 12 October 1979. The average team took 2.8 threes per game that season.12

  10. 1994–95
    A shorter three-point line

    For three seasons the line was a uniform 22 feet, an attempt to lift falling scoring. From 1997–98 it went back to 23 feet 9 inches.12

  11. 2015–16
    The three goes mainstream

    Stephen Curry made 402 threes in one season13, and his Warriors finished 73–9, the best record ever14.

  12. 2018–19
    The 14-second reset

    After an offensive rebound off the rim, the shot clock resets to 14 seconds instead of 24.15

  13. 2019–20
    Threes take over

    Teams took 34.1 three-point attempts a game, almost twice the 18.1 of 2009–10, and made 12.2 of them.12

  14. 2023–24
    65 games for the top awards

    Under the labour deal agreed in 2023, players generally need at least 65 games to be eligible for awards such as MVP, and the games of the new in-season tournament count in the standings.16

  15. 2024–25
    More threes than ever in the table

    37.6 three-point attempts per team per game and 13.5 made, 37%: the highest numbers in Wikipedia's table, which starts with 2.8 attempts in 1979–80.12

Era by era

Seven eras in numbers

The dividing lines are ours; the numbers come from Wikipedia, each with its source. NBA.com's terms do not allow its statistics to be used on commercial websites, so we do not use them.

1946–1954

Before the clock

There was no shot clock, so a team in front could hold the ball. On 22 November 1950 the Fort Wayne Pistons beat the Minneapolis Lakers 19–18, the lowest score ever4. In 1951–52 the lane went from 6 to 12 feet to slow down George Mikan and the other big men3.

1954–1964

Twenty-four seconds

The shot clock lifted scoring at once5. In 1961–62 Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points and scored 4,029 in the season17, 100 of them in one game18.

1964–1976

Big men and a wider lane

The lane grew to 16 feet in 1964–653. Bill Russell won his 11th title with Boston in 196919, and until 1973–74 the box score had no blocks or steals67.

1976–1990

The merger and the three

Four ABA teams joined in 1976–779, and the three-point line followed in 1979–80. Teams took 2.8 threes a game in that first season and 6.6 by 1989–9012.

1990–2004

A shorter line, for a while

To lift scoring, the line came in to 22 feet all round from 1994–95 to 1996–97 and then went back. By 1999–2000 teams took 13.7 threes a game and made 35% of them12.

2004–2015

More threes, step by step

On 22 January 2006 Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, still the third-highest total ever20. By 2009–10 teams took 18.1 threes a game and made 6.412.

2015–2026

The three-point boom

Stephen Curry made 402 threes in 2015–1613, and Wikipedia's three-point article credits him with changing how teams play. By 2024–25 teams took 37.6 threes a game and made 37% of them12.

Side by side

Compare NBA seasons

Eight seasons from 1959–60 to 2025–26: the league, the Finals, the MVP, the statistical leaders and the three-point shot. Pick two to four seasons. Data: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, in the versions of mid-October 2026.

Quick picks66 years apartBefore and after the threeThe three-point boom

1959–60no 3-point line1989–90early 3-point era2025–263-point boom
The league
Teams82730
Games per team758282
Best regular-season recordBoston CelticsLos Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder
First pick in the draftBob BoozerPervis EllisonCooper Flagg
The Finals
NBA championBoston CelticsDetroit PistonsNew York Knicks
Finals opponentSt. Louis HawksPortland Trail BlazersSan Antonio Spurs
Finals MVP–Isiah ThomasJalen Brunson
MVP and statistical leaders
Regular-season MVPWilt ChamberlainMagic JohnsonShai Gilgeous-Alexander
Scoring leaderWilt Chamberlain, 37.6Michael Jordan, 33.6Luka Dončić, 33.5
Rebounding leaderWilt Chamberlain, 27.0Hakeem Olajuwon, 14.0Nikola Jokić, 12.9
Assists leaderBob Cousy, 9.5John Stockton, 14.5Nikola Jokić, 10.7
The three-point shot
Three-point attempts per game–6.6–
Three-pointers made per game–2.2–
Three-point percentage–33%–

Data: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, in the versions of mid-October 2026; selected, rounded and partly recalculated by Box Score Stories. The CSV export carries the same note and every source.

In numbers

Threes, scorers and rebounders

Each bar is one number with its source, regular season. The three-point charts are league averages per team and game; the scoring and rebounding charts show each season's leader instead of a league average.

Three-point attempts per team per game
1979–802.812
1989–906.612
1999–0013.712
2009–1018.112
2019–2034.112
2021–2235.212
2022–2334.212
2023–2435.112
2024–2537.612

League average, regular season, as the table in Wikipedia's three-point article gives it. The table has no row for 2020–21 or for 2025–26.

Three-pointers made per team per game
1979–800.812
1989–902.212
1999–004.812
2009–106.412
2019–2012.212
2021–2212.412
2022–2312.012
2023–2412.812
2024–2513.512

The same table. The share that went in moved much less than the number of attempts: from 29% in 1979–80 to 37% in 2024–25.

The scoring champion's points per game
1949–5027.421
1959–6037.621
1961–6250.421
1969–7031.221
1979–8033.121
1989–9033.621
1999–0029.721
2009–1030.121
2019–2034.321
2025–2633.521

Not a league average but the season's best scorer: Mikan, Chamberlain twice, West, Gervin, Jordan, O'Neal, Durant, Harden and Dončić. Points ÷ games from Wikipedia's list of annual scoring leaders. Chamberlain's 50.4 is still the record.

The rebounding champion's rebounds per game
1950–5116.422
1959–6027.022
1960–6127.222
1969–7016.922
1979–8015.022
1989–9014.022
1999–0014.122
2009–1013.222
2019–2015.222
2025–2612.922

The season's best rebounder: Schayes, Chamberlain twice, Hayes, Nater, Olajuwon, Mutombo, Howard, Drummond and Jokić. Rebounds ÷ games from Wikipedia's list of annual rebounding leaders; rebounds have been counted since 1950–518.

Comparing players from different eras

Faster games mean more possessions, more shots and more of everything, so raw totals favour fast eras. Two tools help:

The leaders show how much the game around them changed: the season's best rebounder averaged 27.0 a game in 1959–60 and 12.9 in 2025–2622, while the best field goal shooter made 47.7% of his shots then and 68.2% now23.

And check what was counted at the time: before 1973–74 there were no blocks or steals in the box score.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: 1946–47 BAA season (version of 17 May 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  2. Wikipedia: Basketball Association of America (version of 16 September 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  3. Wikipedia: Key (basketball) (version of 1 October 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  4. Wikipedia: Shot clock (version of 23 August 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  5. Wikipedia: 1954–55 NBA season (version of 16 September 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  6. Wikipedia: Block (basketball) (version of 3 August 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  7. Wikipedia: Steal (basketball) (version of 19 March 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  8. Wikipedia: Rebound (basketball) (version of 20 September 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  9. Wikipedia: ABA–NBA merger (version of 8 October 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  10. Wikipedia: List of NBA seasons (version of 12 October 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  11. Wikipedia: Turnover (basketball) (version of 9 September 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  12. Wikipedia: Three-point field goal (version of 30 August 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  13. Wikipedia: Stephen Curry (version of 4 October 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  14. Wikipedia: 2015–16 Golden State Warriors season (version of 3 September 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  15. NBA Official: NBA Board of Governors approves rules changes for 2018-19 season (21 September 2018)
  16. NBA.com: NBA, NBPA reach tentative deal for new 7-year collective bargaining agreement (1 April 2023) checked 21 October 2026
  17. Wikipedia: List of NBA single-season scoring leaders (version of 15 April 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  18. Wikipedia: Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game (version of 13 August 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  19. Wikipedia: List of NBA players with most championships (version of 16 June 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  20. Wikipedia: List of NBA single-game scoring leaders (version of 13 October 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  21. Wikipedia: List of NBA annual scoring leaders (version of 14 October 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  22. Wikipedia: List of NBA annual rebounding leaders (version of 15 June 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
  23. Wikipedia: List of NBA annual field goal percentage leaders (version of 14 April 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026

Checked on 20 October 2026, unless a source has its own date. Wikipedia content is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; we take single numbers and facts from the versions linked above and say where a number is our own calculation. Spotted a mistake or a record that fell? Write to hello@boxscorestories.com.

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