Suns’ Kevin Durant moves to No. 8 on NBA’s scoring list, passes Shaquille O’Neal

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant moved past Shaquille O’Neal for eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list on Wednesday in a 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Footprint Center.

Durant’s midrange jumper at the free-throw line in the third quarter saw him move ahead of O’Neal. He needed nine points to pass the Hall of Fame center entering the matchup and scored eight in the first half. Grayson Allen set Durant up after a Jusuf Nurkic down screen for the clinching bucket.

The 14-time All-Star averaged 28.1 points through 60 games this season and started Wednesday’s contest with 28,588 career points. He finished the night with 22 points on 10-for-18 shooting, so he got to 28,610 career points.

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

A video from Shaq congratulating Durant on the accomplishment played on the video board at Footprint Center and the Suns’ TV broadcast:

“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

Earlier this season, Durant passed Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone and Carmelo Anthony on the all-time scoring list.

Durant needs around 1,400 more points to become the eighth member of the 30,000-point club, joining LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain.

Last season, Durant scored 1,366 points in 47 games and in 2021-22, the now-35-year-old totaled 1,643 points in 55 games.

The former No. 2 overall pick in 2007 has significantly fewer games played (1,047) than the rest of the top 10, with the exceptions of Jordan (No. 5 overall, 1,072 games played) and Chamberlain (No. 7, 1,045 games). Every other player has amassed more than 1,200 games played.

Durant has the highest 3-point percentage and the highest free-throw percentage of any player in the top 10.

Kevin Durant on the NBA all-time scoring list

1. LeBron James 40,179 points

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387 points

3. Karl Malone 36,928 points

4. Kobe Bryant 33,643 points

5. Michael Jordan 32,292 points

6. Dirk Nowitzki 31,560 points

7. Wilt Chamberlain 31,419 points

8. Kevin Durant, 28,597 points

9. Shaquille O’Neal 28,596 points

10. Carmelo Anthony, 28,289 points

11. Moses Malone, 27,409 points

12. Elvin Hayes 27,313 points

13. Hakeem Olajuwon 26,946 points

14. Oscar Robertson 26,710 points

15. Dominique Wilkins 26, 668 points

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