The 2004-05 Scoring Race Was Legendary: Allen Iverson Led The NBA Over 9 Other Superstars

The All-Star shooting guard for the SuperSonics was good enough to lead his team to the 4th seed in the West behind the Suns, Spurs, and Mavericks. Allen was not as efficient as usual but he shot 42.8% from the field, 37.6% from three, and 88.3% from the free-throw line. Allen was able to help Seattle get to the second round of the playoffs but fell to the Spurs in 6 games.

9. Dwyane Wade - 24.1 PPG ( Miami Heat)

The budding superstar Dwyane Wade was only in his second season but made his first All-Star Team. Wade, alongside Shaquille O’Neal, guided the Heat to the best record in the Eastern Conference and they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Pistons in 7 games.

8. Vince Carter - 24.5 PPG (New Jersey Nets)

The greatest dunker of all time, Carter was traded to the Nets 20 games into his 7th season with the Toronto Raptors. Carter averaged 27.5 PPG for the Nets for the remainder of the season and led the team to the playoffs. The athletic scorer made a whopping 40.6% of his threes in 2005 and was one of the top ten scorers in the NBA.

7. Gilbert Arenas - 25.5 PPG (Washington Wizards)

The streets will never forget how good Gilbert Arenas was for the Washington Wizards, as he put up a then-career-high 25.5 PPG for the team. Arenas shot 36.5% from three in 2005 and was the driving force for the Wizards in making the playoffs. Arenas would take off the next 2 seasons, putting up 29.3 PPG and 28.4 PPG in a row.

6. Tracy McGrady - 25.7 PPG (Houston Rockets)

In his first season with the Houston Rockets, T-Mac dropped 25.7 PPG on 43.1% shooting from the field. McGrady also averaged 6.2 RPG and 5.7 APG for the Rockets, showcasing his talents as an all-around superstar. With McGrady and Yao Ming on the roster, Houston finished with a 51-31 record but fell to the Dallas Mavericks in 7 games.

5. Amar’e Stoudemire - 26.0 PPG (Phoenix Suns)

Two seasons after his Rookie of the Year campaign, Amar’e Stoudemire averaged a career-high 26.0 PPG for the Suns on a scintillating 55.9% from the field. With Steve Nash feeding him in the pick n roll, Stoudemire was a tremendous offensive force who got it done on the defensive end as well (1.6 BPG). Stoudemire’s tremendous offensive season would be his best in his career before playing only 3 games the following season.

4. Dirk Nowitzki - 26.1 PPG (Dallas Mavericks)

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks to a 58-24 record which was good for 3rd in the West, and the scoring of the German forward was the catalyst for the team success. Dirk was money from deep all season long by nailing 39.9% of his threes despite playing almost 39 MPG. Dirk was in the MVP Race all season long and Dallas fell to the Phoenix Suns and MVP Steve Nash in the second round of the playoffs.

3. LeBron James - 27.2 PPG (Cleveland Cavaliers)

The King was only in his second season, but he finished 3rd in the scoring race while playing 42.4 MPG. James shot 47.2% from the field, 35.1% from three, and 75.0% from the free-throw line in his first All-Star season. Of course, James would make 15 straight All-Star Teams after the 2005 season. As dominant as LeBron James was, the Cavaliers did not finish in a playoff seeding.

2. Kobe Bryant - 27.6 PPG (Los Angeles Lakers)

A prime Kobe Bryant at 26 years old was a very scary offensive force. With Shaquille O’Neal getting traded to the Miami Heat, Kobe was forced to carry the Lakers' offense by himself. Bryant answered the bell by playing 40.7 MPG, shooting 43.3%, and dishing out 6.0 APG. Bryant did his best for Los Angeles over his 66 games, but the Lakers did not make the playoffs and the shooting guard finished 2nd behind Allen Iverson in the scoring race.

1. Allen Iverson - 30.7 PPG (Philadelphia 76ers)

The unstoppable guard led the NBA in scoring for the Philadelphia 76ers and made the playoffs in a competitive Eastern Conference. Iverson was 2 years removed from his last scoring title but did it again by shooting 42.4% from the field and playing over 42 MPG. The Answer was still arguably the best scorer in the game at age 29, but his season ended prematurely with a defeat to the Detroit Pistons in 5 games in the first round of the playoffs. Iverson also captured his 4th scoring title to beat out 9 other superstars in one of the most competitive scoring races in NBA history in 2005.