Houston Rockets star forward Kevin Durant needed only 17 points on Sunday to pass his idol, Dirk Nowitzki, to move into sixth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Kevin Durant In Awe Of Passing Dirk Nowitzki
Durant reached that mark and finished with 18 points in a 119-110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The future Hall of Famer scored his final two points from the free throw line with 15.2 seconds remaining.
Durant now trails only five NBA greats on the all-time scoring list: LeBron James (42,703), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), and Michael Jordan (32,292).
KD PASSES DIRK FOR 6th ON THE ALL-TIME SCORING LIST 🤩 pic.twitter.com/WLTAofswqU
— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2026
“To be up there with Dirk, somebody I looked up to, I idolized, I competed against,” Durant said. “We had some great battles. He always was supportive of my career and my game.
“So, you know to be up there with a legend like that, it’s just insane. And be right under Michael Jordan, it’s crazy man. I want to continue to keep stacking, keep climbing up the charts, just see how I finish. It’s been amazing so far.”
Durant, who is in his 18th NBA season, reached this major milestone more than a week after he passed Chamberlain for seventh on the league’s career scoring list.
Durant Remembered Facing Dirk
During his postgame interview, Durant reflected on the Western Conference finals in 2011.
Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks defeated Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 and went on to beat the Miami Heat for their first NBA championship.
The 15-time All-Star also recalled when OKC swept the Mavs in the first round of the 2012 playoffs.
“There were times going into a series I hated Dirk, you know what I’m saying. I’m sure it was vice versa,” Durant said. “I tried to emulate as much as I can all the great players, but I took a lot from Dirk.”
After Houston’s victory Sunday night, a heartfelt message from Nowitzki was played on the video board.
From one legend to another 🤝
Dirk Nowitzki congratulates Kevin Durant on becoming 𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 in @NBA scoring.@KDTrey5 | #AllFire pic.twitter.com/NPzptdzDRG
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 19, 2026
“Not super happy about him passing me,” Nowitzki joked, before praising Durant. “Seriously, to me, he is one of the purest, smoothest scorers the game has ever seen. I think he’s a 7-footer with really a two-guards game, the shot-making, the off-the-dribble stuff, the off-balance stuff.
“I mean, there’s really nothing you can do to stop him one-on-one. He can always get a great shot up — that’s just how skilled he is, how long he is, how good his release is, and so it’s been incredible to watch his career. Congrats, KD. Keep it going. Move up a couple more spots and keep it up, good luck!”
Durant appreciated the message from Nowitzki.
“For him to take time out of his day to send me a message on passing him on the charts is pretty cool,” Durant said. “It speaks to how humble Dirk is.”
Through 33 games with the Rockets this season, Durant is averaging 26.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 36.5 minutes per outing while shooting 51% from the floor and 39.3% from 3-point range.
