The recent away game of the Phoenix Suns against the Houston Rockets etched its name into the NBA history books. Despite a 110-114 defeat, the franchise’s talisman Kevin Durant surpassed Carmelo Anthony in the all-time leading scorer list. This feat has placed him in close proximity to Shaquille O’Neal with merely 301 points separating the two. Amidst the exciting dynamics, the latter showed love for the 35-year-old superstar following his remarkable achievement.
Advertisement
KD reached the milestone with a double-double performance of 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists in 38 minutes. With this display, the Washington-born has climbed up the ladder on the all-time regular season scoring list with a total of 28296 career points. While securing the 9th spot, the 2x champion is currently only 300 points away from Shaq’s 28596 points record, requiring 301 points to eclipse it.
Despite the possibility of his being surpassed only growing by the day, Diesel took this moment to appreciate the prowess of the 14x All-Star. The 51-year-old shared a post containing the rankings from his Instagram story, displaying his admiration for the 2x Finals MVP.
The gesture sent shockwaves around the NBA community as the 4x champion had often been quite critical of the 2014 MVP. A few weeks ago, the TNT analyst repeated his actions as he called out the 6 ft 11″ in public. Shedding light on Durant’s inability to win a championship as a ‘leader’, O’Neal refused to include him in the GOAT conversations before elaborating on his stance.
“He’s one of the two of the most prolific dominant scorers ever. But because you lose to Golden State [Warriors] and then you go join them and win a championship, I think that tarnishes it. Now, if he can win one where he’s the bus driver like Charles [Barkley] always says, I think we would definitely have put him in that conversation. But right now, I really don’t have him,” the New Jersey-born declared.
Therefore, the recent endeavors of the 7 ft 1″ icon could turn the tide between their dynamics. The acknowledgment of greatness has marked a new beginning from the former center’s end while the viewers hope for its extension into the future. As for Kevin Durant, with the Phoenix Suns being his team, this could be his biggest opportunity to further his legacy in a big way, much like Stephen Curry did with his NBA title in 2022.
Alongside Shaquille O’Neal, the admirers of Kevin Durant continue to increase
The Suns star entered the NBA as one-of-a-kind talent in 2007 before rising the ranks rapidly since his debut. The 2008 ROTY has maintained an upward curve throughout his journey as a closer inspection of the all-time leading scorers list reveals the details. Amongst the top 10 players on the chart, the forward possesses the highest true shooting percentage of 62%. On top of it, he has broken Melo’s record while playing 5479 fewer minutes and is on his way to surpass Shaq while featuring in 171 fewer games.
This consistency has inspired millions around the globe with Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards being one of them. “My GOAT, man, this is going to sound crazy, but Kevin Durant,” Ant mentioned before adding, “I’ve always just been a fan, watching him play as a kid. He’s the first seven-footer I’ve seen putting the ball on the floor, just going off the dribble. So, I’ve always been a big fan”.
Even after reaching the pinnacle of individual brilliance, the All-Star has stayed connected to his roots. He provided a glimpse into his mindset recently, stating, “I always wanted to be respected by the greats of the game for my abilities. That says it all right there. So, I get love from the greats wherever I stand…That means the world to me”.
His reasons for growth have evidently remained intact while fueling his development on an individual level. The process thus sets a benchmark for the aspirants as one of the greatest of all time leaves footprints to be followed.
