Kevin Durant’s last season with the Phoenix Suns was a forgettable one, because for the first time since the 2008-09 season, he failed to qualify for the playoffs despite being healthy and playing 62 games with the team. Consequently, he opted for a change of scenery, joining the Houston Rockets, the fifth team of his NBA career and his third in five years. Houston is a complete and young team that finished second in the conference last season. Now, with Durant, they remain in that position, trailing only the unbeatable champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are the team to beat this year with only one loss in 23 games. Durant’s arrival brings the necessary veteran leadership and experience for the Rockets’ playoff push.
Kevin Durant Targets Michael Jordan
In the Rockets’ comfortable 117-98 victory over the Suns, Durant finished with 28 points and, in the process, became just the eighth player in NBA history to amass 31,000 career points, now sitting at 31,024. Through 18 games this season, he is averaging 25.2 points on 50.2% shooting, along with 5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. At that scoring pace, he needs only about 20 more games to surpass No. 7 Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and No. 6 Dirk Nowitzki (31,560)-milestones he will almost certainly achieve this year.
After Dirk, the names get significantly heavier: Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Durant could potentially surpass both if he maintains his outstanding scoring average and plays two more seasons in the NBA, which would extend his career to 20 seasons and see him playing until age 39. The top three remains a distant dream, even for him, consisting of Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron James, who continues to push his unreachable all-time scoring record.
A Third Ring to Validate His Legacy
More than these incredible scoring records, what Durant truly desires is another championship ring. Since leaving the Warriors in 2019 after winning two rings and two Finals MVPs, he has not returned to the Finals, while both LeBron James and Stephen Curry have won another ring since then.
The Rockets are undoubtedly title contenders with the trio of Durant, Amen Thompson, and AlperenSengün, three players we will likely see in the All-Star game and certainly in the playoffs. The Rockets’ next two games are against the Mavericks tonight and the Clippers on Thursday, giving them a slight rest to reflect on their great start to the season and plan for continued improvement.
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