HOUSTON — On the night Kevin Durant passed Michael Jordan for fifth on the NBA’s career scoring list, the 37-year-old star was already looking ahead.
“Four more to go,” he said with a smile.
Durant scored 27 points in the Houston Rockets’ 123-122 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday night to move past Jordan.
Durant, who was the second pick in the 2007 draft, had 21 points entering the fourth quarter and made a 3-pointer with less than five minutes left to inch close to passing Jordan. Durant did it on his next shot, sinking another 3 from nearly the same spot in the right corner to give him 32,294 points, two more than Jordan.
Durant briefly lifted his arms in triumph after draining the shot as the home crowd went wild.
He was asked if he had a favorite memory of Jordan or a best interaction with the superstar.
“No. That’s like asking me do I got a favorite Drake song,” he said. “No, they’re just all great. MJ has so many great moments. He just personifies iconic god level — just everything that I believe in, he personifies.”
Durant missed a shot that would have won the game for Houston in the final seconds, but Amen Thompson tipped in the miss to give the Rockets the victory.
Thompson, who was 4 when Durant was a rookie, is in awe of the veteran’s accomplishments.
“That’s legendary,” Thompson said. “Just being on a team with greatness like that, it’s inspiring, for sure. And witnessing him break these records, it’s been cool to watch.”
The Rockets played a video commemorating the milestone just before the final play. It featured highlights of Durant, along with some of Jordan’s top moments, as the fans rose to their feet to laud him.
Durant had already eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) this season before moving up again Saturday. Next up on the esteemed list is Kobe Bryant, who’s fourth with 33,643 points.
“It’s an honor for everybody to be a part of that,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “And as KD has said in the past, I don’t think he cares much about it in the moment. He’s really focused on the season and what we’re trying to accomplish, but I don’t want to just make it an afterthought. Passing Michael Jordan is obviously a huge accomplishment, and we celebrated that with him.”
Durant is in his 19th year in the league, but he sat out the 2019-20 season because of an injury. He’s in his first season in Houston since a blockbuster trade from Phoenix last summer.
The 16-time All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist is a four-time scoring champion and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He has two NBA titles, was the MVP in 2013-14 and is an 11-time All-NBA selection.
Durant said he has been inspired by everyone at the top of the scoring list, and he hopes to continue to inspire those who come after him. But it’s difficult for him to fully embrace what this accomplishment means to his career and legacy.
“It’s cool, but it’s hard to take in when you’re still on the journey, when you just care about getting better,” he said. “I don’t ever want to downplay stuff like that, but I’ve got to get up and come to work tomorrow.”
