After surpassing one of his idols, Dirk Nowitzki, in January, Kevin Durant was looking at the next NBA legend on the list. Michael Jordan’s 32,292 points were an achievable target for him this season, which the Houston Rockets star just earned against the Miami Heat. At age 8, Durant first witnessed His Airness when the Chicago Bulls faced his hometown team, the Washington Bullets, in the first round of the 1997 NBA playoffs. To surpass the legend was an emotional moment, and Durant finally shed light on it after the game.

“It means a lot,” Durant said. “I’m just grateful to do it here for this fan base that shows me so much love. Support me every game. I’m just grateful to be here, and what a journey it’s been. I’m looking forward to keep it going.”

On Saturday against the Heat, with 4:46 left in regulation, the Slim Reaper produced a corner three for his 27th point to earn the historic feat. He has now entered the Top 5 in the league’s all-time scoring leaderboard, joining Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron James.

The 37-year-old has never shied away from calling Jordan one of his inspirations. After the game, he did the same. “I’ve been inspired by all these players, I’ve either passed or coming up to. MJ is in a world of his own. A planet and galaxy of his own. Somebody that I look up to and respect. Who basically shaped the game for me,” Durant said.

Fans within the Toyota Center were waiting because Durant needed 26 more points to surpass the Bulls legend. His first shot on the night didn’t fall, but Durant still was productive with 9 of 17 shooting from the field and hitting five of his nine three-pointers. As fortune would have it, he finished with 27 points, and even the head coach tipped his hat to the star player.

The Rockets’ head coach sets future goals for Kevin Durant

Last week, Kevin Durant was candid and explained that, even though he would overtake Michael Jordan, the gap wasn’t just because of basketball. “But the only reason I’m even close to MJ is because he retired twice.” While Durant remained modest, let’s not forget his own career issues. Two injuries cut the majority of his time on the hardwood.

A foot injury during the 2014-15 season meant he played only 27 games after his MVP run. Then, in 2019, an Achilles tendon tear raised questions about his long-term health. But Durant has battled everything and is still firing on all cylinders. The Rockets’ head coach expects it to continue.

“I don’t want to just make it an afterthought, obviously, to be top five all-time in scoring,” said Udoka. “The efficiency and professionalism he plays with, you kind of can take it for granted. So passing the name Michael Jordan is obviously a huge accomplishment, and we celebrate that with him. Great to do it on a win, and I’m sure he’ll have some more to kind of chop off next.”

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Amen Thompson, who was 4 when Durant was a rookie, called the Slim Reaper’s new record “legendary” and “inspiring.” Additionally, it doesn’t look like the Rockets’ star is retiring anytime soon. About a month ago, he hinted at staying around the game right until the 2028 Olympics in LA. Contractually, Durant is guaranteed another year in the NBA with Houston, followed by a player option for the 2027-28 season.

With the NBA expansion discussion looming, one never knows whether Durant might be open to a return to Seattle, where he was drafted, in the near future. The record has been broken, but Durant’s job is never done. He now has 32,294 career points, trailing Kobe Bryant by 1,349.