Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has won the NBA’s scoring title in his first full season donning the purple and gold. He averaged 33.5 points per game in 64 games of action, putting him clearly ahead of the next-highest scorer on the year.
But his win is not just a personal accomplishment. Rather, it’s a continuation of an incredible trend in the NBA. Doncic’s scoring title marks the fifth consecutive year in which an international player has averaged the most points per game. Prior to the five-year streak, an international player had never done so. Below are the five straight winners and the contexts of their seasons.
2021-22: Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid became the first international player to win the scoring title back in the 2021-22 season. The Philadelphia 76ers star averaged 30.6 points per game, and was the only player in the league that year to cross the 30-point threshold.
An international player was winning the scoring title this season no matter what, as Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo finished second with 29.9 points per game, and Doncic — then with the Dallas Mavericks — scored 28.4 per game to finish third.
2022-23: Joel Embiid
Embiid’s follow-up act was even better than his first scoring title. He absolutely dominated scoring the basketball in 2022-23, averaging 33.1 points per game and securing the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award in the process. This season had an absurd six 30-point scorers, and an international player was again destined to win.
Doncic — still with the Mavericks — scored 32.4 points per game this season and finished second in the NBA. However, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard ended up in third with 32.2 points per game, which will be one of the rare appearances by an American player in this decade’s top scorers.
2023-24: Luka Doncic
After years of hovering near the top, Doncic finally broke through and won his first scoring title. The Mavericks star averaged a ridiculous 33.9 points per game and was one of three players with 30-plus points per game on the year. Although, his margin of victory in 2023-24 was even greater than his Lakers title in 2025-26.
Antetokounmpo finished second with 30.4 points per game and Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was third with 30.1 in his first top-three finish.
2024-25: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander broke through in 2024-25 after back-to-back years of averaging above 30 points. He finished with 32.7 points per game in his first MVP season and was one of only two 30-point scorers in the NBA in 2024-25.
The other was none other than Antetokounmpo, who averaged 30.4 to finish second in the scoring title race once again. Third belonged to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, who averaged 29.6 points a game, but also with a triple-double average.
2025-26: Luka Doncic
Doncic rounds out the streak of five straight with his second scoring title in three years. He averaged 33.5 points per game, giving him a significant advantage over the next-best scorers.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished second with 31.1 points per game, while Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards makes his first appearance in the top three with 28.8 per game. He was one of only two Americans to finish in the top three over the last five years.
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