How did Nets star Kevin Durant make history against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Boxing Day?
At the rate he’s going, the Nets’ big man will almost certainly make his way into the top 10 of the league’s all-time scoring list, before his career comes to an end.
From off court controversies to underperforming superstars, Brooklyn’s team has had some turbulent times over the last two seasons, but it would appear things are finally turning around and their biggest star making history to prove it.
Kevin Durant makes history in Nets 9th win
The Nets, are playing some top tier ball at the moment and that fact was further punctuated on Monday night, when star forward Kevin Durant made NBA history during Brooklyn’s 125-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers – their ninth straight win. If you missed it, Durant made a jumper during the second quarter of the game and with that, leapfrogged San Antonio Spurs legend, Tim Duncan, to take 15th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. In case you’re wondering, Duncan who won five NBA championships with the Spurs, finished his career with an astounding 26,496 points.
A look at Kevin Durant’s place in NBA history
With Durant’s achievement, the former league and finals MVP is now in the company of some of the NBA’s greatest ever players. Atlanta Hawks great Dominique Wilkins is next up on the list with 26,668 career points. Then, there’s Oscar Robertson with 26,710, and the Houston Rockets very own Hakeem Olajuwon on 26,946. What’s even more impressive, is that if Durant can maintain his health this season, he will likely pass all three of those players. Consider for a moment, that at this point two-time NBA champion is less that 1,000 points from entering the top 10. That’s to say, it’s simply a matter of time.
To be clear, Durant is no stranger to big numbers as a four-time NBA scoring champion. In truth, there have been few better in the business of scoring in the league’s history. Now 34-years-old, it may seem hard to believe, but the former Warriors star shows no signs of slowing down, in fact it would appear he’s adapted his game to become even more lethal as time passes. If you’ve got any doubts, just think about the fact that he’s averaging 29.9 points per game on a career-high 56% shooting from the floor. What makes it even more incredible to behold, is that players with his size are not normally known for being such sharp shooters, but then such is the way of Kevin Durant. At this point, it appears as though it’s Durant’s league and the rest are just playing in it. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see where the big man ends up on the list, when the curtain finally comes down on his magnificent NBA career.