By Eric Jay SantosShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberIn his 18th NBA season, Kevin Durant continues to etch his name in the history books. At 31,681 career points, Durant is the league’s sixth-highest scorer in points.
LeBron James holds the all-time scoring record with a total of 42,810 points. Based on Durant’s career average of 27.2 points per game, it would take the 37-year-old star about 412 games to match that amount.
While James is nearly out of reach, NBA reporter Leigh Ellis asked Durant whether he could catch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the second spot. Abdul-Jabbar finished his NBA career with 38,387 points.
"Nobody is going to catch [LeBron James]... I never wanna say never, but those dudes set the bar so high," Durant said. "I think about the top three or four, you gotta play at least 20 years in the league to even reach that.... If I end up there it's cool, if not, I just wanna be around and be in the league."
...How is Durant Performing Now?
Last summer, Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets in a historic seven-team trade. The following October, he signed a two-year, $90 million contract extension with a player option for the 2027-2028 season.
This season, Durant is averaging 26.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists over 44 games. He has put forward a strong case for a Western Conference All-Star reserve selection.
In terms of team success, the Rockets hold the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. The franchise is on a 7-3 run in its past ten games.
As Houston’s season leader in points, Durant is in an optimal position to continue climbing up the NBA’s all-time scoring list. If the two-time NBA champion maintains his current average, he is likely to surpass Michael Jordan for the fifth spot on the leaderboard.
Overall, Durant has a serious chance to compete for a title with the Rockets while making history in the process.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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