It is not every day that you pass your childhood hero in points on the basketball court.
For Kevin Durant, who passed Michael Jordan for fifth place on the NBA all-time scoring list on 21 March, achieving the feat has not diminished the awe he feels for his sports hero in the slightest.
“MJ is just bigger than the game,” Durant told Boardroom Talks. “Even if you were to pass him in anything, just his impact on this sport and culture in general is just too big.
“His personality, his aura is just too hard to get away from.
“It’s bigger than the stats for MJ.”
Durant passed Jordan’s mark of 32,292 points in the Houston Rockets’ win over the Miami Heat. He scored a 3-pointer for the Rockets that took him over the mark and 27 points in the game overall.
The four-time Olympic champion had 32,294 points at the end of the night and has since bumped that count to 32,480.
The second overall pick in the 2007 Draft, Durant is playing his 19th season in the world’s top basketball league. However, he sat out the entire 2019-20 season due to injury.
Jordan, who played 15 seasons in the NBA, has also had his share of injuries. He retired and came back twice over his career, which spanned from 1984 to 2003.
“His imprint, his impact on the game is so big that it’s always historical to even come close to what he’s done on a basketball court in any type of form, so to be close in points, it’s a true art,” Durant said. “It’s a test to longevity and loving the game, stuff that MJ portrayed every day and that’s what usually gets you into those places is when you work on your craft, religiously, and love the game.”
Durant surpassed Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki in points earlier this season. Only four players now sit ahead of him on the all-time scoring list: LeBron James (43,338), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643).
And Durant is already eyeing those marks too.
“I just want to keep going,” the 16-time All-Star said.