Kevin Durant has cemented his place in basketball history, becoming only the eighth player ever to join the prestigious 30,000-point club.

 

Much like LeBron and his All-Time Scoring Record, when it came to Kevin Durant entering the exclusive 30K Point Club, it was never a question of if, but when. After his Achilles injury (where he was about 7,000 points shy of the milestone), Durant returned to form and quickly reminded us why he's one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. It was only a matter of time before he'd join the ranks of seven other legends as the only players to surpass 30,000 career points. And when he sank those two free throws late in the third quarter, history was made.

Now, to be fair, while KD is the 8th player in NBA history to achieve this, we can't overlook Julius Erving. Yes, his ABA points count towards his total, but I think it’s only right to include him in the conversation. If you want to call it “8th” strictly for NBA points, I get it, but as a basketball historian, I can’t let Dr. J be overlooked as one of the greats.

The rest of the 30K club is made up of NBA legends, and it’s fitting that KD now stands beside them. Reaching 30,000 points is no small feat—only 8-9 players have managed it in the history of the league. When you think about the players who fell short—Moses Malone, Shaq, Carmelo, Dominique Wilkins, Hakeem Olajuwon, and others—it really puts into perspective just how monumental this achievement is. Given KD’s deep knowledge of the game, it’s no surprise he understands the significance of his accomplishment.

We often talk about how impressive LeBron’s career is because he not only lived up to the immense hype he had coming into the league, but surpassed it. The production, the longevity—it’s all part of his legendary status. KD’s career parallels that in many ways. He entered the league in 2007 as a generational talent, and looking at him now in 2025, he’s delivered on every bit of that promise. His longevity and production show that he’s lived up to the all-time hype.

For those of us who’ve watched this era of basketball, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to witness some of the greatest players ever. LeBron, Kobe, Jordan, Dirk, Malone, and now KD—what a run it’s been. We’ve seen the top scorers of all time, and KD’s part of that conversation.

The next question is: how high can KD climb? If he stays healthy, I think it’s realistic to suggest he’ll pass Kobe for 4th all-time. At this point, we’re seeing no signs of decline in his game, and he’s been finishing seasons with around 1,600 points. Adding another 3,000+ seems very achievable, assuming no major injury setbacks. Catching Karl Malone, though, might be a stretch for a 36-year-old. So, I’m predicting KD will finish as the 4th all-time scorer in NBA history. Not bad, right?

To really understand how insane it is to reach 30,000 points, consider the next player on the list: James Harden, who currently sits at 26,931 career points. Let’s say he finishes this season at 27,000+. He’d still need another 3,000+ points, which would require about three more solid seasons. But at 36 years old and with just a player option left on his deal, it’s not a given that Harden will make it. He’s one of the greatest offensive talents in NBA history, but even he isn’t guaranteed to break 30K.

And then there’s Steph Curry. He’s been incredible, but at age 36, he’s only at 24,694 career points. After this season, he’ll be about 4,000 points away from the 30K mark, and given his production of 1,600+ points per season, he’d need another 3-4 years to reach the milestone. I’d feel a bit more confident about him reaching it than Harden, but it’s still not a lock.

Looking to the younger generation, players like Jayson Tatum (13,226) and Luka Dončić (12,103) have a shot at joining this club. Giannis (19,804), who’s only about 3,000 points behind KD at age 30, is another possibility. If he can stay healthy, Giannis could very well be a contender for 30,000 points in the future.

However, as you can see, breaking 30,000 points is no easy feat, and even with some promising young players, we’re probably looking at just a handful of players who will join this exclusive club in the years to come. If it were easy, there’d be a lot more than 8-9 players on the list.

So, congratulations to KD, one of the best scorers we’ve ever seen and will ever see in NBA history.