Kevin Durant, the ever-reliable scoring machine for the Phoenix Suns, has officially joined the elite 30,000-point club. On Tuesday night, in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, KD casually added another chapter to his storied career by hitting that magic mark with a well-timed free throw late in the third quarter. If you’re keeping score, that makes him only the eighth player in NBA history to cross this illustrious threshold.

Now, when we talk about legends, Durant finds himself in the company of names like LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Wilt Chamberlain. And let’s not forget Julius Erving, whose combined NBA-ABA tally also earns him a nod in these conversations. In a post-game moment that blended humility with his signature self-assured style, Durant remarked,

“It’s a true honor to be in the same category as those players who helped shape the game and pushed it forward. That’s always been my goal—to get the most out of myself every day, to make every season count. To be mentioned with those guys, I must be doing something right.”

Despite the Suns falling 119-112 to the Grizzlies, Durant’s 34-point performance, on a smooth 12-of-18 shooting night—was enough to light up the stat sheets. Interestingly, KD reached this landmark in his 1,101st career game, which coincidentally matches Kareem’s own game count at the time he hit 30,000 points. For perspective, only legends like Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan managed to get there in fewer games, a testament to Durant’s consistent excellence.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer summed it up perfectly when he said,

“It’s special for everyone who’s around him every day. We’re all amazed by the way he works, the effort he puts in, and the meticulous attention to detail he shows. It’s all translated to 30,000 points. He’s not just a special player on the court, but an exceptional human being off it as well.”

Over the course of his career, Durant has proved to be a bona fide scoring phenom. From his early days with the Oklahoma City Thunder, back when they were still the Seattle SuperSonics, where he put up 17,566 points over nine seasons, to his time with the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and now the Suns, KD’s scoring prowess has been nothing short of dazzling. This season, he’s averaging a robust 27.1 points per game on 52.8% shooting, keeping the highlights coming game after game.

Since being picked as the No. 2 overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant has made scoring look as effortless as sinking a free throw, if free throws were as entertaining as his jumpers from all over the court. With four scoring titles to his name, he sits third on the all-time list behind Michael Jordan’s 10 and Wilt Chamberlain’s seven. A glance at his career shot chart reveals a fascinating spread: buckets coming in every shape and form, leaving little “white space” for defenders to find shelter.

So while the Grizzlies might have taken home the win, the night truly belonged to KD, a player whose scoring ability, flair, and a dash of humor remind us that sometimes, reaching 30,000 points is just another day at the office. Here’s to many more milestones, and to Kevin Durant’s ever-growing legacy as one of the all-time greats in the game of basketball.