Kevin Durant is officially in the top 10 of the NBA’s all-time scoring list, and it remains to be seen how much farther he will go.
The Phoenix Suns star passed Moses Malone’s 27,409 career points for 10th in NBA history on Friday, driving into the lane for an easy lay-up to take his latest jump in the history books. Durant entered the game needing 17 points for the achievement and reached it in less than two quarters.
One of the NBA’s elder statesmen these days, the 35-year-old Durant has been as lethal as ever this season. He entered Friday averaging 31.3 points per game, his highest total since his last scoring title in the 2013-14 season, while also shooting 51.8% from the field and 49.3% from 3-point range. The latter number is currently third in the NBA.
Durant could have plenty more players to jump by the end of his career. Next up on the list is Carmelo Anthony’s 28,289 points and Shaquille O’Neal’s 28,596, both of which he will pass this season if he maintains his scoring average and avoids injury.
After that, the only question is how long Durant can be healthy and productive. Even a quick decline — say three more years with his rookie-year output of 1,624 points, the sixth-lowest total of his career — would still put him in a dead heat with Michael Jordan for fifth all-time.
Reaching No. 1 already feels out of the question, however, considering LeBron James isn’t slowing down either and is less than four years older than Durant.
NBA all-time scoring list
1. LeBron James: 39,124
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 38,387
3. Karl Malone: 36,928
4. Kobe Bryant: 33,643
5. Michael Jordan: 32,292
6. Dirk Nowitzki: 31,560
7. Wilt Chamberlain: 31,419
8. Shaquille O’Neal: 28,596
9. Carmelo Anthony: 28,289
10. Kevin Durant: 27,415 (as of halftime)
11. Moses Malone: 27,409
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
