Kevin Durant achieved a significant milestone in his illustrious NBA career on Wednesday night, surpassing the legendary Shaquille O’Neal in the league’s record books.
The momentous occasion took place during the Phoenix Suns’ matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, as Durant officially moved past O’Neal to claim the eighth spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The NBA Twitter account (@NBA) commemorated the achievement, highlighting Durant’s prowess as a scorer with a tweet that read, “KD just passed Shaq to move into 8th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list! A walking bucket 🪣 Sixers-Suns | Live on the NBA App.”
KD just passed Shaq to move into 8th on the NBA's all-time scoring list!
A walking bucket 🪣
Sixers-Suns | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/tOA70tB6Xq pic.twitter.com/LDufvevFHd— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2024
Acknowledging Durant’s accomplishment, O’Neal himself extended his congratulations to the Nets star in a video shared by the Phoenix Suns (@Suns) on social media. In the video, O’Neal expressed his admiration for Durant’s achievement, stating, “Well deserved. It doesn’t stop here… If anybody was gonna pass me, it was definitely gonna be you.”
“Well deserved. It doesn’t stop here… If anybody was gonna pass me, it was definitely gonna be you.”
🗣️ @SHAQ congratulates Kevin Durant on passing him on the @NBA all-time scoring list pic.twitter.com/PBHr84Jy0X
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 21, 2024
In his congratulatory message, O’Neal also encouraged Durant to aim even higher, challenging him to strive for the coveted top spot on the all-time scoring list. “First of all, I want to say congratulations for passing me to become eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list,” O’Neal remarked. “Well deserved, but you know it doesn’t stop here … See if you can get to No. 1.”
Comparing their career statistics, O’Neal amassed a total of 28,596 points over 1,207 games, whereas Durant achieved the feat in just 1,047 games.
With his recent ascent, Durant now sets his sights on surpassing other basketball luminaries, with Wilt Chamberlain occupying the seventh position with 31,419 points, and LeBron James holding the all-time record with an impressive 40,179 points, a figure that continues to grow as James remains an active player in the league.
