Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant contemplated Friday’s 114-110 defeat against the Houston Rockets after moving up to ninth on the NBA’s all-time scoring leaderboard, passing his former peer Carmelo Anthony.
Reflecting on this personal achievement, Durant, whose Phoenix Suns have faced two consecutive losses against Dallas and Houston since the NBA All-Star break, expressed mixed feelings.
“It’s hard to think about it right now because we lost two games in a row,” Durant told Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic. “That sucks, but I don’t want to disrespect what that means to the game, my career. It’s an honor to be up there with the greats. It takes a lot of hard work to get there.”
Surpassing Carmelo Anthony, Durant’s career points tally now stands at 28,289, equaling Anthony’s. Durant shared his admiration for Anthony.
“Carmelo is somebody I looked up to since I was 13, 14 years old,” Durant said. “So to be in the same category up there with him in points is an honor. He set the standard for me for a long time. So to be up there with him and to pass him is pretty cool.”
Durant achieved this milestone with a free throw in the fourth quarter, 10:47 minutes before the game ended. His next target is Shaquille O’Neal, who is ahead with 28,596 career points. Durant feels humbled by his progress.
“To be sandwiched in between two guys that molded my childhood as a basketball player, I never would’ve thought I’d be there when I was a kid, but it’s cool to be in the same breath as the greats,” Durant said.
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