Durant humbled as he approaches 'special' scoring milestone
Returning to action following a three-game absence with a strained calf, Kevin Durant will need just 25 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night to place himself in a group with just four other players.
The Golden State Warriors star would become the second-youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 points for his career, joining LeBron James (youngest), Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kobe Bryant as the only ones to do so before turning 30 years old.
"Man, that's some great company, and there's so many names I never thought I'd be in the same conversation with," Durant told ESPN's Chris Haynes. "But to know - to have it in numbers, in black and white - to know that you belong in that group is pretty special to me.
"I'm telling you, man, it's never been a goal of mine to count how many points I have. That's not why I play the game. To be under 30 and do it, that's special to me too. You play in this league for so long, and having an opportunity to do something like this at this age, you just can't take it for granted, because there's not too many players on that list."
Of the 33 games Durant has competed in during the 2017-18 campaign, he's scored 25 or more points 19 times, and hasn't finished with fewer than 18.
Scoring has always come naturally to the former MVP. Outside of his rookie year in 2007-08, he has consistently averaged more than 25 points per game, earning four scoring titles (2010-12, 2014), with only Jordan and Chamberlain having won more. He's also ranked 44th on the all-time scoring list.
"I had one goal when I came into the league, and that was for me to win Rookie of the Year, and I just kept building after that," said Durant. "My second year, I wanted to average 25. Every year I had a goal, but I never envisioned me with 20,000 points, 30,000 points. I was just taking it a day at a time, just trying to lock in, stay in the moment, and here I am."
"I reflect a lot to see where I've came from and see how much I've grown," he added. "The players I've came across as teammates and as opponents that pushed me to be who I am, I think about that all the time. It's good to reflect. I've had some amazing times as a player and so many great moments that equal to these 19,975 points. I just try to remember the special times that brought me to this place, and it's going to give me more motivation to keep pushing."