Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant continues to add to his Hall of Fame resume late in his career, and what he accomplished on Saturday night against the Miami Heat may be his greatest accomplishment yet. By scoring his 27th point against the Heat, Durant passed Michael Jordan's 32,292 career points to move into fifth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
With this corner triple, Kevin Durant passed Michael Jordan to reach No. 5 on the NBA's all-time scoring list.pic.twitter.com/ItsOYrwo8e https://t.co/pY739bp1da
- ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 22 March 2026
Very few players can match the accomplishments that Jordan accomplished during his illustrious career, which is why this is such a great accomplishment for Durant. Already known as one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history, Durant now has a top-five scoring rating to back up that claim.
After passing Jordan for fifth on the all-time scoring list, Durant will now look to pass Kobe Bryant's 33,643 career points, potentially moving him into fourth place sometime during the 2026-27 season. Karl Malone (36,928), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), and LeBron James (43,241 and counting) are likely out of Durant's reach at this point in his career.
Jordan was considered by many players during the Durant era to be the greatest player in league history, including the 16-time All-Star. That's why Durant is still surprised to see his name next to all the greats of the game, including Jordan.
"It's great to be in the same category as some of the greatest players to ever play this game," Durant said recently, via NBA.com. “He has added so much to the game that has inspired me to stay for so long.”
When he passed Dirk Nowitzki for sixth on the all-time scoring list against the New Orleans Pelicans on January 18, Durant said it was "crazy" to be on the list with a "legend" like Nowitzki.
Durant said, "I want to continue to make a lot of appearances, climb up the charts, just see how I finish. It's been amazing so far."
What makes all these late-career accomplishments even more amazing is the fact that Durant has continued to play like one of the best players in the NBA even after suffering an Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA Finals and missing all of the 2019-20 season.
Very few athletes are able to return to the sport they love after an Achilles injury and still remain effective. Not only has Durant done this, but his overall production and value have remained unchanged before and after the injury.
Durant has had one of the most decorated careers in basketball history, especially when you include his Team USA accomplishments at the Olympics, and surpassing Jordan on the all-time scoring list is another reminder of how great KD is.
