Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant is widely regarded as one of the best offensive players the NBA has ever seen. While boasting elite scoring figures on efficient shooting, Durant is truly in a league of his own.
While many rate Kevin Durant as an all-time great, former NBA player Vince Carter recently took things a step further. While speaking on a recent episode of the “Cousins” podcast with Tracy McGrady, Carter ranked Durant as a top-five all-time player after he passed Michael Jordan on the total career points list.
“What KD has done, he’s top five all time,” Carter stated. “Michael Jordan, in my opinion, is the standard. Any time you pass Jordan in anything, that’s saying something. Because of what he’s done over the course of 14 years, six championships… Like, Mike is Mike… So, any time you get that opportunity to pass him [Jordan]… He’s going to show you some love, but we know how Mike is.”
Kevin Durant passed Michael Jordan on the total career points list this season, crossing Jordan’s tally of 32,292 points to secure fifth place on the list. Currently, Durant has 32,455 points, and although he has played him 1,196 games (124 more than Jordan), the feat is commendable.
On that note, McGrady also praised Durant, adding:
“That had to be a great a– feeling, man. To hear your name being mentioned in passing the great Michael Jordan.”
“It’s the longevity for me. Because these guys are great, they’re the greatest to do it. And when you have that type of skill set, and you can be the number one option, you’re going to score points. But it’s the consistency and the health that you display year after year, getting your body in that type of shape, that is hard to do. To wake up every single day and still want to do it at that level.”
Among the active players, only Kevin Durant and LeBron James have successfully surpassed Michael Jordan on the total career points list. However, Durant’s shooting figures are truly astounding.
While all the players in the top five are appropriately ranked because of the number of shots they have attempted over their careers, Kevin Durant ranks 12th in all-time field-goal attempts. To that point, McGrady showcased immense faith in Durant’s ability to continue his offensive onslaught, suggesting that he could even reach 38,000 points if he kept playing.
Even at 38, Kevin Durant remains an elite offensive player. With averages of 25.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 51.7% from the field and 40.8% from three-point range this season, he continues to lead the Rockets in scoring.
Although McGrady has big expectations for Durant, it is highly unlikely that the superstar will be able to cross the 38,000-point mark. Having notched 1,884 points in 73 games this season is impressive, but replicating it for at least another three years may not be feasible.
By the same token, Vince Carter’s justification for ranking Durant as a top-five all-time player may also seem inflated. But considering that legends such as Isiah Thomas have suggested that Durant would be just as impactful as Michael Jordan on the Bulls, there may be some room to debate.
