Kevin Durant is the newest member of the NBA’s 30,000-point club.
With a free throw against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns forward upped his career scoring tally to a realm precious few have reached.
Durant finished the game with 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and five blocks in a 119-112 loss to the Grizzlies. His career point total now sits at 30,007.
Already the NBA’s eighth-leading all-time scorer, Durant’s now the eighth NBA player to reach the 30,000-point threshold, joining LeBron James (41,623 points), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). Julius Erving reached 30,026 combined points during a career split across the NBA and ABA.
The milestone is the latest for Durant, who’s been one of the game’s most efficient and effective scorers since his rookie season in 2007-08. In 16-plus seasons, Durant’s averaged 27.2 points per game while shooting 50.1% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point distance.
As a 6-11 forward with an inside-out game and elite scoring skills from all three levels, Durant’s played a significant role in ushering in the modern era of NBA offense. Durant’s offensive prowess has netted him four scoring titles, 14 All-Star bids, 11 All-NBA selections, one MVP trophy and two NBA championships.
At 36 years old, Durant remains one of the game’s best scorers and projects to add significantly to his 30,000-plus point tally.