Kevin Durant passes Shaquille O’Neal for 8th on NBA all-time scoring list

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant passed Shaquille O’Neal for eighth on the NBA all-time scoring list, in Wednesday night’s 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 14-time All-Star passed O’Neal (28,596 points) and now has 28,610 points. LeBron James is the league’s all-time scorer with 40,179 points. James is the first player to reach the 40,000-point mark.

“I’m just grateful to be in a category with some of the greats. I know what Shaq meant to the game of basketball, so to be up there with him is a major honor,” Durant said.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Suns hold sixth-shortest odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.

“Just grateful to be in the category with some of the greatest. We all know what Shaq meant to the game of basketball. To be up there with him is a major, major honor.”

Kevin Durant on passing Shaquille O’Neal for 8th on #NBA all-time scoring list.

Has 28,610 to O’Neal’s 28,596 pic.twitter.com/DQQpJc3LtI

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 21, 2024

Shaquille O’Neal praised the 16-year veteran in the studio during NBA on TNT.

“If anybody was gonna pass me, it was definitely gonna be you, Durantula,” he said.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is second on the NBA all-time scoring list with 38,387 points, followed by Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), Dirk Nowitzki (31,560), and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419).

Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant is 2,810 points shy of passing Wilt Chamberlain for seventh on scoring list

Durant ended his performance with 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 36 minutes of action. He finished 10-of-18 (55.6%) shooting from the field and 2-of-6 (33.3%) from 3-point range.

“What he’s doing for this year’s team is far greater than just scoring the basketball. He’s been one of our best defenders, and I don’t know where we’d be without him,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said of Durant.

Grayson Allen scored 32 points and tied a career high with nine 3-pointers. He’s made eight or more 3-pointers in seven games this season, which is second in the NBA behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

Kevin Durant honored by the Suns and Shaq for moving into 8th all time on the scoring list pic.twitter.com/zLxDOGoonm

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) March 21, 2024

“Every five games it feels like he’s passing another legend,” Allen said about Durant.

Devin Booker added 18 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists, falling just shy of his first regular-season triple double. He scored a season-high 62 points in a 133-131 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 26.

With only 13 games left of the regular season, Phoenix is 40-29 and ranks eighth in the Western Conference standings. The Dallas Mavericks (40-29) hold the tiebreaker over the Suns. Both teams trail the No. 6-seeded Sacramento Kings (40-28) by half a game.

“It’s about getting wins, man. We just want to win games,” Kevin Durant added. “I know it’s about how you win sometimes, but at this point of the season, we just need to add wins.”

The Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.