HOUSTON — It wasn’t a thunderous dunk or one of his patented silky jumpers that sealed the record, but the single point that lifted Kevin Durant into rarefied air was a testament to his relentless, scoring-machine consistency.
On Sunday night, during the Houston Rockets’ 119-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, the 18-year veteran and 14-time All-Star sank a free throw with 15.2 seconds left to officially surpass Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki as the sixth-leading scorer in NBA history.
Kevin Durant makes NBA history by passing Dirk Nowitzki on all-time…
The moment was set up by a classic Durant bucket just over a minute earlier. With 1:05 on the clock, he rose over a defender for a smooth, contested fadeaway from the foul line—a move echoing the very legend he was about to pass—to tie Nowitzki’s career total of 31,560 points. He finished the night with a stat-stuffing 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, securing the win and his new place in history.
The Efficiency of a Scoring Savant
What makes Durant’s climb past “The Germanator” especially staggering is the blistering pace of his ascent. Durant now sits at 31,562 career points, a milestone he reached in just 1,161 games. He eclipsed Nowitzki’s mark in 362 fewer games—the equivalent of nearly four and a half full seasons less.
This statistic cements Durant’s standing not just as a volume scorer, but as arguably the most purely efficient and versatile scoring force the game has ever seen.
Dirk’s Classy Congratulatory Nod
Nowitzki, the 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, wasted no time in congratulating his successor with a pre-recorded, characteristically humble video message.
“Not super happy about him passing me,” Nowitzki joked, before adding serious praise. “No, seriously, to me, he is one of the purest, smoothest scorers the game has ever seen. The shot-making, the off-the-dribble stuff, the off-balance stuff… Congrats, KD! Keep it going. Move up a couple more spots.”
Next Target on the Horizon: His Airness
With Nowitzki now in his rearview mirror, Durant’s next summit is the legend many consider the greatest of all time: Michael Jordan. “His Airness” occupies the fifth spot with 32,292 points.
Durant needs 730 points to claim No. 5. Barring injury, this is a milestone well within reach this season. If he maintains his career scoring average (27.2 PPG) and plays approximately 65 games, he is projected to pass Jordan before the end of the current 2025-26 campaign.
Beyond Jordan, the names become the Mount Rushmore of NBA scoring:
4. Kobe Bryant (33,643)
3. Karl Malone (36,928)
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387)
LeBron James (40,474+)
More History Awaits in Space City
Rockets fans have a front-row seat to this historic march. Durant is under contract in Houston for at least two more seasons, including a player option for 2027-28, following the extension he signed this past offseason.
If he remains healthy and plays out his current deal, analysts project Durant will not only pass Kobe Bryant with relative ease but will have a legitimate shot at challenging Karl Malone for a spot in the top three all-time.
For now, the ever-focused Durant remains locked on the Rockets’ immediate playoff pursuit in the loaded Western Conference. But as he demonstrated on Sunday night, he continues to rewrite the league’s record books with every effortless jumper, every clutch free throw, moving silently and surely up the ladder of basketball immortality.