The 21 greatest NBA players who never scored 50 points in a game

11) Gary Payton

Count NBA legend Gary Payton as one of the few players in the 20,000-point club that never scored 50 in a game. While Payton is a top-40 scorer all-time, part of that accomplishment was due to his rarely missing a game during his 17-year career.

To be clear, he was still an elite offensive player, especially as a passer when paired with all-star Shawn Kemp during his time with the Seattle Supersonics. As a scorer, Payton used his size and strength to bully opposing guards and get buckets. That helped him average 20 points per game seven times and score a career-best 43 points but his lack of 3-point shooting and modest number of free throw attempts kept him from the 50-point club.

He also likely had to conserve energy and focus less on scoring due to being tasked with locking down opponents on defense. That made him a more well-rounded player, and he is widely considered to be one of the best point guards ever and arguably the best two-way point guard.