Kevin Durant has a stat line even Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant never achieved

Kevin Durant reminded the world on Sunday night why his “Easy Money Sniper” moniker is a fitting one. The Phoenix Suns forward casually dropped 40 points against the Indiana Pacers without a solitary free-throw attempt, making 18 of his 25 field goal attempts, including four threes.

By scoring 40 points without attempting a shot from the charity stripe, Durant achieved a stat line that even the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant never registered. 

While Curry did come close when he dropped 39 against the Charlotte Hornets in February 2017, the Warriors star has never crossed the 40-point mark without a free throw attempt either. 

According to StatMuse, Jamal Murray's 50-point outburst against the Cleveland Cavaliers in February 2021 remains the most points scored by a player without a free throw attempt, followed by Hakeem Olajuwon (48), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (48) and Klay Thompson (44). Thompson is the only player in NBA history with three such games.

Durant, 35, also became the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points without a free throw attempt, surpassing the previous record set by Olajuwon.