In a historic night at the Moda Center, Kevin Durant passed Wilt Chamberlain for seventh place on the NBA’s career scoring list during the Houston Rockets’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
The 37-year-old Durant, in his 18th season, entered needing 15 points to top Chamberlain’s 31,419. He sealed the milestone with a 3-pointer at 7:57 in the third quarter, reaching 31,422 points. Durant also eclipsed 8,000 career rebounds in the same contest, showcasing his enduring excellence as a 15-time All-Star.
The Portland crowd gave warm applause upon announcement, and Blazers coach Tiago Splitter embraced Durant. Rockets coach Ime Udoka lauded his work ethic, while Splitter reflected on Durant’s consistent scoring prowess.
Postgame, in a locker room interview, Durant expressed gratitude and a deep respect for Chamberlain.
“To be amongst the greats is always an honor,” Durant told reporters. “Wilt is somebody I studied and try to look up as much as I can on a player like that. He set a standard for NBA players and grateful to reach that and inspired by what he produced to the game of basketball.
“Portland is such a classy, classy city for recognizing me in that moment and honoring me.”
Dirk Nowitzki sits sixth with 31,560 points.
