“He set a standard for NBA players”: Kevin Durant’s reaction after surpassing Wilt Chamberlain on NBA all-time scoring list

Kevin Durant wrote another golden page in his NBA career. In Friday’s matchup against the Trail Blazers at Moda Center, the Rockets lost the game to Portland in a closely contested match by 105-111. This was Houston’s 13th loss of this season and its second consecutive loss against the same opponent.But despite everything, the 2-time Finals MVP achieved a grand milestone. Durant dropped in a shot from beyond the arc and officially surpassed the legendary Wilt Chamberlain to take 7th place on the NBA’s all-time career scoring list. Durant entered the contest needing just 15 points to eclipse Chamberlain’s career total of 31,419 points. The historic moment happened with 7:57 remaining in the third quarter. Durant stepped into a smooth three-pointer that swished through the net, pushing his total to 31,422 and officially moving him past the most dominant physical force of the 1960s. After the game, when he was asked about his views on overtaking Wilt Chamberlain, the 2014 MVP said, “To be amongst the greats is always an honor. Wilt is somebody I studied and tried to look up to as much as I can, a player like that…he set a standard for NBA players and (I'm) grateful to reach that, and inspired by what he produced for the game of basketball."The Portland crowd, famously savvy and respectful of the game's greats, gave Durant a standing ovation as the achievement was announced. Appreciating the home crowd and the support they showed, Durant said, “Portland is such a classy, classy city for recognizing me in that moment and honoring me," said Durant of the city's gesture. The fanbase here just loves basketball… I'm grateful for the fans here. I appreciate that a lot."Durant finished the game with 30 points and 12 rebounds, also surpassing the 8,000-rebound plateau on the same night. Currently, he has 31,435 points. The 37-year-old Durant is playing his 19th season and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. By passing Chamberlain, he has cleared one of the most imposing benchmarks in NBA. The next legend in his sights is sixth-place Dirk Nowitzki, who sits at #6 with 31,560 points. This season, Durant is averaging 26.2 points per game. Taking this into considering, it is expected that he’ll be able to overtake the Mavericks’ legend pretty soon.Also read: Uncertainty looms after CBA negotiations miss deadline, leaving WNBA and WNBPA at crossroads