Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made NBA history last season by doing the unthinkable and surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer. And with each passing game, his stranglehold on the record grows stronger. On Friday night, however, another active player joined the ranks of scoring history in Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant.
Durant has long been seen as not only one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, but perhaps one of the most skilled scorers the game has ever seen. Injuries derailed his chances of truly flying to the top of the all-time scoring list, but even with a lost season and other major injuries, he has still managed to etch his place in history.
On Friday night, Durant entered the top 10 of the all-time scoring list by surpassing Moses Malone and becoming the second active player in the top 10. James was quick to show his support for the Suns superstar:
TOP 10!!!!! @KDTrey5 CONGRATS ???????
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 2, 2023
Durant and James have had their fair share of battles over the years. They have met in three NBA Finals and have consistently been on championship contending teams for the bulk of their careers. They have all the makings of a great rivalry, but still have shown nothing but respect for one another on and off the court.
Durant now has time to continue climbing as high on the all-time scoring list as he can. His next roadblock is Carmelo Anthony at No. 9. Durant sits 866 points behind Anthony, and at his current scoring average of 31.2 points per game, it should take him about 28 games to reach the No. 9 spot.
At 35 years of age, it’s unclear how much more Durant has left in the tank. But he is still playing at an elite level, and could find himself significantly higher on the all-time scoring list by the time it’s all said and done for his career.
James calls it an honor to compete against Durant
James, especially this season, has not been shy about his praise for Durant. After the Lakers and Suns battled it out earlier this regular season, James spoke about what it means to compete against Durant.
“Obviously our first home game this season was verse Phoenix and we talked about in postgame and talked to the media about how special it is always to go up against KD, one of the greatest to ever play this game. We’ve had so many matchups throughout our career, had the opportunity to pair with him on an Olympic team as well and we’ve both made our marks in the history of this game. So, it is always special, as I said, to share the floor with him. Like I said, when we did in the summer time or throughout our career going against each other, throughout the regular season and postseason. So, unbelievable talented guy, one of the best basketball players to ever play this game and it is always an honor to go against him.”
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