StaTuesday: Wolves' Wiggins sixth all-time with over 2,500 points before 21st birthday
Andrew Wiggins turned 21 on Tuesday, meaning not only is he able to buy a beer in the United States legally (although he's been able to do so for a couple of years in his native Canada), but it also closes the book on the number of points he scored in the NBA at age 20 or younger.
Wiggins averaged an impressive 16.8 points in his rookie season and has taken it up a notch in his sophomore campaign, currently at 20.7 points per game.
All told, Wiggins played in 138 games before turning 21 and amassed 2,548 points (an 18.5 average). Just 12 players in NBA history have reached the 2,000-point plateau before turning 21. One of those is Wiggins' teammate, Kevin Garnett.
In fact, Wiggins passed Garnett this season in the all-time points at age 20 or younger in league history and finishes sixth on that all-time list. Of the top six, Wiggins played the fewest games.
Timberwolves players represent 25 percent of the list. Joining Wiggins and Garnett is Stephon Marbury, whose time as an under-21 player intersected with Garnett.
Here's the complete list of the 12 who reached 2,000 points before age 21 (we are including birthdays so you can see exactly when the player reached 21):
| PLAYER | SEASONS | BIRTHDAY | GAMES | POINTS | POINTS PER GAME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 2004-06 | Dec. 30 | 186 | 4,649 | 25.0 |
| Kevin Durant | 2008-09 | Sept. 29 | 154 | 3,495 | 22.7 |
| Carmelo Anthony | 2004-05 | May 29 | 157 | 3,283 | 20.9 |
| Kobe Bryant | 1997-99 | Aug. 23 | 200 | 2,755 | 13.8 |
| Dwight Howard | 2005-07 | Dec. 8 | 184 | 2,619 | 14.2 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 2015-16 | Feb. 23 | 138 | 2,548 | 18.5 |
| Kevin Garnett | 1996-97 | May 19 | 157 | 2,144 | 13.7 |
| Tracy McGrady | 1998-2000 | May 24 | 192 | 2,122 | 11.1 |
| Kyrie Irving | 2012-13 | March 23 | 100 | 2,071 | 20.7 |
| Bradley Beal | 2013-14 | June 28 | 129 | 2,029 | 15.7 |
| Stephon Marbury | 1997-98 | Feb. 20 | 118 | 2,028 | 17.2 |
| Anthony Davis | 2013-14 | March 11 | 119 | 2,001 | 16.8 |
Follow Dave Heller on Twitter
