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LeBron James has officially set a new benchmark by playing more NBA games than any player in history, while Kevin Durant has surpassed Michael Jordan on the league’s all-time scoring list.
“Just four more to go,” remarked Durant after his 27-point performance in Houston’s victory over Miami propelled him past Jordan to claim the fifth spot in scoring.
The 37-year-old Durant achieved this milestone by sinking back-to-back corner three-pointers during the fourth quarter, bringing his career total to 32,294 points—putting him two points ahead of Jordan.
Although Durant briefly celebrated by raising his arms in triumph after overtaking Jordan, he later expressed his deep respect for the six-time NBA champion.
“MJ has so many great moments,” Durant reflected. “He embodies an iconic, almost god-like level of greatness—everything I aspire to, he represents.”
Jordan did average an NBA-record 30.12 points per game over his career, first all time ahead of Wilt Chamberlain (30.07 ppg). Durant, meanwhile, has averaged 25.7 points a game over his 18-year career.Â
Kevin Durant smiles after his Rockets beat the Heat as he passed Michael Jordan in scoringÂ
James, of course, holds the all-time scoring records with 43,229 points ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643) and Kevin Durant
Michael Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points and still holds the ppg mark at 30.12
James, of course, holds the record for total points with 43,229 points ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643) and Durant.
The four-time NBA champion also made some history of his own on Saturday.
On a night when his Los Angeles Lakers came back to beat the Orlando Magic, 105-104 on a Luke Kennard 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining, the 41-year-old James also made his record 1,612th regular-season appearance.
And with that, James has surpassed Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish for most games in NBA history.
Already first in points, seasons played, minutes, All-Star selections, field goals, and career earnings, James admittedly wasn’t expecting to pass Parish.
‘It’s not like I’m like writing things down and looking at the record book and saying: “I’m going to get that, I’m going to get that, I’m going to get that.” It just kind of happened,’ James told reporters Saturday. ‘It was not on the list of things that I wanted to accomplish.’
(From left) Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Larry Bird sit on the bench in Boston in 1992Â
Like James, Parish was known for taking care of his body, which helped him play 21 seasons
Still, beating Parish’s record is a remarkable achievement.
Known as Chief, in a nod to the character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Parish famously teamed with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to form one of the greatest frontcourts in NBA history. The trio would win three NBA titles with the Celtics in the 1980s and Parish would later add another as a backup on the 1997 Chicago Bulls.
Along the way, Parish became known as one of the best conditioned players in basketball. The Louisiana native practiced martial arts and yoga, while relying on a strict diet throughout his playing career.
Despite all that, Parish’s total minutes fall well short of James’ mark, 60,676 to 45,704. What’s more, James has played in 292 playoff games compared to Parish’s 184.
As for Saturday, James finished with a dozen points, six rebounds and three steals, while teammate Luka Doncic had a game-high 33 points in the dramatic victory.