By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Phoenix Suns’ superstar Kevin Durant joined an elite list of NBA players after becoming the 8th star to score 30,000 points on February 12, 2025.
In the 1:11 mark of the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies, Durant officially reached the 30k-point milestone after knocking down both of his shots from the charity stripe.
After clinching his 25th and 26th points from the free throws, the whole crowd in attendance at the Footprint Center gave Durant a standing ovation, followed by a graphic content posted on the arena’s monitor to honor his legendary feat.
Durant joined LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only NBA players to hit 30k points.
Meanwhile, Julius Erving, was a special mention in the group as his 30k-point achievement was reached when he transitioned from the American Basketball Association (ABA) to the NBA.
Despite only having two points at the end of the first quarter, Durant boosted his chances of a better offensive showing when he exploded for 17 markers alone in the following frame.
After missing several games due to a left ankle sprain, Durant returned as if he never took a rest and dropped bombs after bombs that kept the Suns within striking distance.
However, the Grizzlies dominated the interior and spoiled Durant’s return with a 119-112 victory that handed Phoenix its second straight loss.
Durant still balled out in the losing effort and finished his historic night with 34 points, three rebounds, three assists, five blocks, and a steal.
The scoring machine capped off the game with an efficient 12/18 shooting from the field including 3/4 from downtown and 7/10 from the free-throw line.
Congratulations, KD!
