I remember the first time I really got into tracking NBA statistics - it was during Stephen Curry's incredible 2016 season when he became the first unanimous MVP. What fascinated me wasn't just his three-point records, but how his scoring patterns evolved throughout games. You see, understanding full-time total points in basketball is much like the revolutionary approach Civilization VII takes with separating leaders from nations. In the gaming world, they've broken from tradition by letting you mix and match leaders with different civilizations, creating unique combinations that weren't possible before. Similarly, when we look at NBA scoring records, we need to separate the player from their team context to truly appreciate their individual scoring prowess.

Think about it this way - when you pick Augustus Caesar in Civilization VII, you're no longer automatically tied to Rome. His leadership traits can be applied to any civilization you choose. This is exactly how we should view NBA scorers. Take LeBron James for example - his scoring ability has remained consistently elite whether he was with Cleveland, Miami, or the Lakers. His career total points, currently sitting at around 38,652 points as I write this, demonstrate how his scoring transcends team systems. It's like having a leader trait that works regardless of which civilization you pair it with. The beauty of modern basketball analytics is that we can now separate a player's innate scoring ability from their team's system, much like how Civilization VII separates leadership styles from specific nations.

I've spent countless hours analyzing scoring patterns, and what strikes me most is how scoring evolves throughout a player's career. Kobe Bryant's 81-point game against Toronto in 2006 wasn't just about one explosive performance - it was the culmination of years of refining his scoring toolkit. Much like how different Civilization VII leaders have unique traits that define their playstyle, each elite scorer has their signature moves. James Harden's step-back three, Kevin Durant's unstoppable mid-range game, Giannis's relentless drives to the basket - these are their "leader traits" in the basketball world. What's fascinating is how these scoring methods translate across different team contexts, similar to how a leader's unique ability functions regardless of which civilization you choose.

The most misunderstood aspect of total points, in my opinion, is how we contextualize scoring efficiency. I've had arguments with fellow basketball enthusiasts who claim that high-volume scorers like Russell Westbrook aren't efficient, but that's missing the bigger picture. It's like criticizing a Civilization VII leader for not being versatile enough - sometimes specialization creates unique advantages. When Westbrook averaged 31.6 points per game during his MVP season, his scoring volume created opportunities that don't show up in traditional efficiency metrics. The same way certain leader-civilization combinations in Civilization VII create unexpected synergies, certain scoring styles work better in specific team systems.

What really gets me excited is tracking young players and projecting their career trajectories. Luka Dončić, for instance, is on pace to challenge some of the most hallowed scoring records in NBA history. By his age-23 season, he had already accumulated over 7,000 points - putting him ahead of LeBron James at the same age. It reminds me of discovering a powerful new leader-civilization combination in Civilization VII that nobody had considered before. The potential for these young scorers to rewrite the record books creates the same thrill as uncovering a game-breaking strategy in your favorite game.

The evolution of scoring in the NBA mirrors how strategy games have evolved in their complexity. We've moved beyond simply counting total points to understanding scoring in context - much like how Civilization VII moved beyond locking leaders to specific civilizations. We now analyze scoring efficiency, clutch performance, points per possession, and how scoring impacts team success. This multidimensional approach has completely changed how I appreciate basketball greatness. Instead of just marveling at Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, I find myself equally impressed by Stephen Curry's true shooting percentage or Kevin Durant's scoring consistency across different teams.

As I look at today's NBA landscape, I can't help but feel we're witnessing a golden age of scoring. The league has seen scoring averages climb to heights we haven't witnessed since the 1960s, with teams regularly putting up 120+ points. This scoring explosion, combined with advanced analytics, gives us unprecedented insight into player performance. It's like having access to both the leader traits and civilization bonuses in Civilization VII - we can appreciate the individual brilliance while understanding how it fits into the larger system. The records being set today may stand for generations, or they might be broken sooner than we think, much like how game strategies evolve with each new discovery. What remains constant is our fascination with greatness, whether it's in virtual civilizations or on the basketball court.