Kevin Durant continued to climb the NBA’s list of career scoring leaders, passing big man Shaquille O’Neal for No. 8 with 22 points in the Phoenix Suns’ 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
The 35-year-old Durant now has 28,610 career points. He’s passed multiple greats on the scoring list this season, including Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone and Carmelo Anthony.
Durant, a 14-time All-Star, shows no signs of slowing down. The 6-foot-11 forward is scoring nearly 28 points per game in his 17th season, which is just above his career average.
“I’m grateful to be in the category with some of the greatest,” Durant said. “We all know what Shaq meant to the game of basketball. So to be up there with him is a major, major honor in my opinion.”
Durant will probably need at least another year before he hits No. 7 on the list. That spot is occupied by Wilt Chamberlain, who had 31,419 career points.
The Suns played a video message from O’Neal during a timeout on Wednesday, congratulating Durant on passing him.
“You know it doesn’t stop here,” O’Neal said.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is the only player in NBA history to score at least 40,000 points, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earlier this season. Karl Malone occupies the No. 3 spot, followed by Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Chamberlain.
Durant is currently No. 10 on the list when counting points scored in both the NBA and American Basketball Association, which operated from 1967 to 1976.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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