Kevin Durant etched his name deeper into the NBA record books on Tuesday night (US time), becoming just the eighth player in league history to surpass 30,000 career points. The Phoenix Suns superstar reached the milestone with a free throw late in the third quarter of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Durant, a 15-time NBA All-Star, achieved the feat in his 1,101st career game, making him the joint-third fastest to reach the mark alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Only Wilt Chamberlain, with 941 games, and Michael Jordan, with 960 games, accomplished the milestone in fewer matches.
"It's a true honor to be in the same category as those players who've helped shape the game," Durant said postgame.
"To be mentioned with those guys means I'm doing something right."
Standing at 6-foot-11 with a lethal jump shot and elite scoring ability from all areas of the floor, Durant has long been regarded as one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history. Over his career, he has maintained shooting averages of 50.1 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three-point range, and 88.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Durant's scoring journey began with the Oklahoma City Thunder — formerly Seattle SuperSonics, where he amassed 17,566 points over nine seasons. He then contributed 5,374 points with the Golden State Warriors, 3,744 with the Brooklyn Nets, and 3,324 — and counting — with the Phoenix Suns.
Despite his historic achievement, the night ended in disappointment for Durant and the Suns, who fell 119-112 to the Grizzlies.
Ja Morant, who led the Grizzlies with 26 points on 8-of-19 shooting, made sure to acknowledge Durant’s historic moment. The young star handed Durant the game ball after the final buzzer, a gesture of respect for the legendary scorer.
"I honored him with the ball… Everybody don’t get 30K in this league," Morant said.
Durant finished with 34 points on an efficient 12-of-18 shooting, but the milestone moment will undoubtedly remain a bright spot in an already illustrious career.