Suns’ Kevin Durant moves to No. 9 on NBA’s scoring list, passes Carmelo Anthony
Feb 23, 2024, 8:05 PM | Updated: 9:14 pm
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Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant moved past Carmelo Anthony for ninth overall on the NBA’s all-time scoring list on Friday against the Houston Rockets.
Durant’s made free throw in the fourth quarter had him jump ahead of Anthony. Durant and Anthony won two Olympic gold medals while playing together for Team USA in 2012 and 2016.
Durant entered Friday with 28,268 points. He scored 28 in a 114-110 loss on Friday, adding 11 rebounds and eight assists as well.
Earlier this season, Durant passed Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, and Hakeem Olajuwon on the all-time scoring list.
Durant needs over 250 more points to pass Shaquille O’Neal (28,596) for eighth on the all-time list, and he needs around 1,300 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 35-year-old totaled 1,643 points in 55 games.
The former No. 2 overall pick in 2007 has significantly fewer games played (1,036) 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 39,868 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. Shaquille O’Neal 28,596 points
9. Kevin Durant, 28,296 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