Prior to the game versus Portland Friday night, Kevin Durant needed 15 points to surpass Chamberlain’s 31,419 points. With 7:57 remaining in the third quarter, Durant’s jumper gave him 31,422 points. Next for Durant to pass would be Dirk Nowitzki, who is ranked sixth on the career list. with 31,560 career points.
The 37-year-old Durant has been an All-Star 15 times and is currently in his 18th NBA season. He surpassed 8,000 career rebounds and finished Friday’s game with 30 points and 12 rebounds.
Head coach Ime Udoka was asked about Durant‘s milestone to which he responded: “No, it doesn’t amaze me when you see the work ethic and what he does on a day-to-day basis.”
After the game, when asked about passing Wilt, Durant said:
“To be amongst the greats is always an honor. Wilt is somebody I studied and tried to look up to as much as I can, a player like that. Like I always say, he set a standard for NBA players and (I’m) grateful to reach that — and inspired by what he produced for the game of basketball. These milestones always have me reflecting on the people that helped me get to this point — the journey that I’ve been through, the close calls, and the things that could have gone wrong plenty of times in my life,” Durant said. “So to be here, very, very grateful, and Portland is such a classy, classy city for recognizing me in that moment and honoring me.”
Kevin Durant received a hug from Blazers’ interim head coach Tiago Splitter after he scored the bucket, along with a warm applause from the Blazers’ crowd.
Houston and Durant look to get back to winning on Sunday in Sacramento versus the Kings. Tip-off is at 8:00 central, and is streaming on Space City Home Network as well as NBA League Pass. As always, make sure to check back here for pre- and postgame coverage.