Durant, a 14-time All-Star, shows no signs of slowing down. The 6-foot-11 forward is scoring nearly 28 points per game in his 17th season, slightly above his career average.
“I'm grateful to be put in the same category as the greats,” Durant said. “We all know what Shaq meant to the game of basketball. So to stand there with him is a huge honor in my opinion.”
It will probably be at least another year before Durant moves to No. 7 on the list. That spot is held by Wilt Chamberlain, who has 31,419 career points.
The Suns played a video message from O'Neal during a timeout Wednesday congratulating Durant on his passing.
“You know it doesn't end here,” O'Neill said.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is the only player in NBA history to score over 40,000 points, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earlier this season. Karl Malone was third, followed by Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Chamberlain.
Durant currently ranks 10th on the scoring list in both the NBA and the American Basketball Association, which operated from 1967 to 1976.
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