On This Day (Jan. 17)
Notable events from NBA history that occurred on January 17.
Career High for West
On this day in 1962, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jerry West scored a career-high 63 points in a 129-121 win over the New York Knicks. It was the only 60-point game of West’s career.
West shot 22-36 from the field (61.1%) and made 19 of his 22 free throws. This was one of 165 career games in which West made at least 10 field goals and 10 free throws, the third-most such games in NBA history:
218 — Oscar Robertson
212 — Michael Jordan
165 — Jerry West
157 — Kobe Bryant
156 — Karl Malone
It was also one of 47 career games in which West made at least 15 free throws, tied for the fourth-most such games in NBA history:
73 — James Harden
56 — Moses Maline
48 — Oscar Robertson
47 — Jerry West
47 — Karl Malone
