One of the most illustrious clubs in all of basketball is the coveted 50-40-90 club. While an NBA Championship is the end goal of every season, players are trying to solidify a legacy and they can do that by putting up ridiculous numbers. To make the 50-40-90 club a player has to shoot 50% from the field, 40% from three, and 90% from the free throw line. It’s difficult to do and over time we’ve seen legitimate legends conquer this feat.
The History of the 50-40-90 Club
Prior to the 2022-2023 season, the 50-40-90 challenge was completed 13 times by nine players. The first to ever do it was the Hick from French Lick. Larry Bird did it in the ’86-’87 season when he shot 53% from the field, 40% from three, and 91% from the free throw line. Bird did it once again the following season and the year after that, Cavaliers guard Mark Price made the club. He shot 53% from the field, 44% from three, and 92% from the stripe.
It wasn’t until five years later when another player entered the arena with Pacers forward Reggie Miller. Miller was one of the league’s coldest players and engraved himself with that reputation when he shot 50% from the field, 42% from behind the arc, and 91% from the free throw line in the ’93-’94 season. Then, there was a large gap. Between ’95 and ’04, no one made the club. Not Kobe Bryant, not Michael Jordan, not Allen Iverson. In the ’05-’06 season, Suns guard Steve Nash became the fourth player to make the club when he shot 51% from the field, 44% from three, and 92% from the line.
The next season, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki shot 50% from the field, 42% from three, and 90% from the line. In the following three seasons between ’07-’10, Steve Nash re-entered the club. His best year was in ’09-’10 when he shot 51% from the field, 43% from three, and 94% from the line. In the ’12-’13 season, Kevin Durant made his first appearance with the Thunder when he shot 51% from the field, 42% from three, and 91% from the line. A few seasons later, Warriors guard Steph Curry shot 50% from the field, 42% from three, and 91% from the line.
In the ’18-’19 season, another Pacer made the list. Guard Malcom Brogdon shot 51% from the floor, 43% from deep, and 93% from behind the arc. A couple years after that, Nets guard Kyrie Irving shot 51% from the field, 40% from three, and 92% from three.
Now this season, Kevin Durant has returned to the club, but there should be some examination and scrutiny on his entry. Did Durant play enough games this season?
Has Load Management Impacted The Club?
This season, Kevin Durant only played in 47 games. When you compare that to the past 50-40-90 club players, it’s mere pittance. Prior to Brogdon making the club in ’18-’19, no player in the club played less than 74 games. With the rise of load management the past few seasons, the last three entrees including Durant played an average of 55 games. The players prior to that played an average of 77.9 games.
I just don’t personally find a guy playing 47 games and making the club to be comparable to a player who played in 75 plus games. Throw out the “tougher era” argument which I find to be lazy and just think about it logically. If an MLB pitcher pitches in three games, allows only five hits, and no earned runs should he win the Cy Young or be an All Star? Probably not. The NBA is taking proper steps to address load management by setting a certain amount of games played in order to make an All-NBA team.
While this is different than making an All-NBA team, there needs to be a line drawn. Personally, I don’t think Durant making the 50-40-90 club really counts this year. He only played just over half of the games this season. Don’t get me wrong, Durant had a good season. I just don’t see him in the same category as Bird or even himself in ’12-’13.
Game Breakdowns
1986-1987 Larry Bird: 74 games played
1987-1988 Larry Bird: 76 games played
1988-1989 Mark Price: 75 games played
1993-1994 Reggie Miller: 79 games played
2005-2006 Steve Nash: 79 games played
2006-2007 Dirk Nowitzki: 78 games played
2007-2008 Steve Nash: 81 games played
2008-2009 Steve Nash: 74 games played
2009-2010 Steve Nash: 81 games played
2012-2013 Kevin Durant: 81 games played
2015-2016 Steph Curry: 79 games played
2018-2019 Malcolm Brogdon: 64 games played
2020-2021 Kyrie Irving: 54 games played
2022-2023 Kevin Durant: 47 games played