There has been a lot of attention given to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James over the last two seasons as he climbed the NBA’s all-time scoring list. But, he is far from the only player that is ascending that list, as some other veterans are also making their way toward the top.
LeBron James sits atop the list, putting more and more distance between himself and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The player making some major moves during the 2023-24 NBA regular season is Phoenix Suns star, Kevin Durant.
Durant entered the season in 13th on the list but has steadily been making the climb higher. On Wednesday night, against the Philadelphia 76ers, Durant scored 22 points, shooting 10-of-18 from the field and 2-of-6 from 3-point range.
Already this season, he has surpassed Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone and Carmelo Anthony. With Wednesday’s scoring output, Durant was up to 26,810 points in his career, which moved him into eighth place ahead of Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal.
Before the Suns took on the 76ers, O’Neal recorded a video congratulation Durant on his achievement. “Kevin Durant, first of all I want to say congratulations for passing me to become eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list,” O’Neal said. “Well deserved. But you know it doesn’t stop here. I probably see you at, see if you can get to number one. Anyway I’m happy for you. Tell your lovely mother I said hello, and congratulations brother. Job well done. I knew it was gonna get done, if anybody was gonna pass me, I knew it was gonna be you.”
Reaching No. 1, as O’Neal suggested, is no small task. James has shown no signs of slowing down, averaging 25.5 points per game in year 21 of his NBA career and became the first player to surpass the 40,000-point mark earlier this season.
More than 11,000 points behind James, it will take a lot for him to get to the No. 1 spot. Even moving into seventh place will take some time, as Wilt Chamberlain is nearly 3,000 points ahead currently.
But, if Durant can remain healthy, as he has during the 2023-24 NBA regular season, there is no knowing how high he can get on the list. Even at 35 years old, he remains one of the most talented scorers in the league.
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