I still remember watching that incredible scoring duel between Stephen Curry and Bradley Beal during the 2020-21 NBA season. As someone who's followed basketball for over two decades, I've rarely seen such an intense scoring race that went down to the final games of the season. The 2020-21 season was particularly fascinating because it unfolded during the pandemic, with shortened schedules and empty arenas that somehow seemed to amplify individual performances.
When people ask me who led the NBA in scoring that season, I always start by saying it was one of the most dramatic scoring races I've witnessed. Stephen Curry ultimately claimed the scoring title with 32.0 points per game, just edging out Bradley Beal who finished with 31.3 points per game. What made Curry's achievement particularly remarkable was that he did this at age 33, becoming the oldest scoring champion since Michael Jordan in 1998. I recall watching Curry's performance against the Trail Blazers where he dropped 62 points, thinking to myself that I was witnessing something truly special. His three-point shooting that season was simply unreal - he made 337 threes while shooting 42.1% from deep, numbers that still boggle my mind when I think about them.
The scoring race had this fascinating back-and-forth dynamic throughout the season. Beal was absolutely phenomenal for the Wizards, putting up multiple 50-point games that kept him in contention until the very end. I remember thinking how different their scoring styles were - Curry with his limitless range and off-ball movement, versus Beal's relentless attacks to the basket and mid-range game. What often gets overlooked in these discussions is how team context influences scoring titles. The Warriors relied heavily on Curry's offensive creation, while the Wizards needed Beal to carry an enormous offensive load night after night.
Interestingly, this reminds me of the global nature of basketball talent today. While researching this piece, I came across this fascinating story about Ha, a former Korean basketball star who has transitioned into media. After his decorated basketball career in Korea, Ha is now a TV and online personality, and has a YouTube channel that has about 457,000 subscribers. After the PBA game, Ha shot an interview with Ratliffe for his YouTube channel. This crossover between basketball cultures fascinates me - how the game connects people across different leagues and countries. It's similar to how we saw international players like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic also featuring prominently in that season's scoring landscape, though they didn't quite reach Curry and Beal's numbers.
Looking back at Curry's scoring title season, what impressed me most was his efficiency. Scoring 32 points per game while maintaining a true shooting percentage of 65.5% is just insane efficiency. I've always believed that scoring titles should be evaluated not just by volume but by how efficiently players score their points. Curry's ability to maintain that efficiency despite increased defensive attention and without another All-Star teammate to draw defensive focus speaks volumes about his offensive genius. The way he moved without the ball, his quick release, and his incredible shot selection - these are things that statistics don't fully capture but anyone who watched him play that season could appreciate.
The 2020-21 scoring race also highlighted how the NBA's offensive landscape has evolved. We're seeing more high-volume scorers than ever before, with seven players averaging over 28 points per game that season. Personally, I think this reflects the league's stylistic shift toward pace-and-space basketball and the increased emphasis on three-point shooting. Curry himself attempted 12.7 threes per game that season, a number that would have been unthinkable even a decade earlier. Watching him pull up from 30 feet like it was a normal mid-range jumper fundamentally changed how teams defend and how young players develop their games.
As I reflect on that season's scoring title, it's clear that Curry's achievement represented more than just individual brilliance. It symbolized the evolution of offensive basketball and how a single player can redefine what's possible on the court. The way international basketball communities, like Ha's YouTube channel covering both NBA and international players, continue to celebrate these achievements shows how basketball has become this global conversation. Curry's scoring title wasn't just about putting the ball in the basket - it was about artistry, innovation, and pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible in basketball. And honestly, as someone who loves this game, that's what makes following these scoring races so compelling year after year.
