Former USC Basketball star and current Sacramento Kings small forward Demar DeRozan became the 27th player in the NBA to hit the 25,000-point milestone on Thursday night against his former team, the Chicago Bulls.
In what was a poetic, unforgettable moment, DeRozan received a pass from Trey Lyles at the top of the key and called off a screen to subsequently hit a vintage midrange fadeaway to hit the milestone with 1:56 remaining in the third quarter.
DeRozan, at 35 years of age, joins an exclusive list of active NBA players to reach 25,000 points, including Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Stephen Curry. DeRozan joins a list of elite companies with some of the most elite basketball players of this generation.
DeMar DeRozan becomes the 27th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 career PTS!
Congrats, DeMar!! pic.twitter.com/IjzPv59JK8
— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2025
The journey to getting buckets has been a long and rewarding ride for DeRozan, who averaged just shy of nine points per game in his rookie season with the Toronto Raptors. The only players to average fewer points per game than DeRozan in their rookie season and still go on to hit the 25,000 points milestone are Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, and Alex English.
DeRozan's patented shot over the years has been the midrange, with him prioritizing the efficiency of two-point shots over the erratic deep ball.
DeRozan is the only active player to hit the 25,000-point milestone with less than 1,000 career three-pointers made, showcasing his remarkable production from inside the arc.
After being drafted ninth overall out of USC in 2009, DeRozan has made a name for himself as one of the most polished scorers in the NBA. Even at 35, he's shown that he has a lot left in the tank. For a player aging like fine wine in his waning years, DeRozan hitting this milestone is a major achievement to add to an already decorated career.
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:55 PM.