Kevin Durant, a 15-time NBA All-Star, achieved a significant career milestone on Sunday, surpassing his idol, Dirk Nowitzki, to claim sixth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Durant entered the game against the New Orleans Pelicans needing 17 points to move past Nowitzki's record. He not only reached that target but exceeded it, finishing with 18 points in a 119-110 victory for his team. His final two points, which officially sealed the record, came from the free throw line with just 15.2 seconds remaining in the game.

With this achievement, Durant now boasts 31,562 career points, placing him two points ahead of Nowitzki's 31,560. He now stands just beneath NBA legend Michael Jordan, who occupies fifth place on the list with 32,292 points.

Reflecting on his accomplishment, Durant expressed immense pride, stating, "To be up there with Dirk, somebody I looked up to, I idolized, I competed against. 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." Durant also voiced his ambition to "continue to keep stacking, keep climbing up the charts, just see how I finish. It's been amazing so far."

Durant's consistent accumulation of milestones is a regular topic among his peers. Rockets forward, Jabari Smith Jr. remarked, "He's passing people nightly. He's passing people in every category. He just keeps accomplishing milestones, and he just acts like it's nothing. He doesn't celebrate it. He wasn't out there trying to hunt and go get it. He's just out there hooping, and it just happens organically. He's a testament of what a basketball player is supposed to be."

Durant also reminisced about the "meaningful battles" he shared with Nowitzki in the earlier stages of his career. These included the intense 2011 Western Conference finals, where Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks defeated Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 before going on to win their first NBA championship against the Miami Heat. The following season saw a reversal, with Durant and the Thunder sweeping the Mavericks out of the playoffs as Dallas attempted to repeat as champions.

Durant humorously admitted to strong feelings during these rivalries: "There were times going into a series I hated Dirk, you know what I'm saying. I'm sure it was vice versa." As he matured in the league, Durant sought to emulate Nowitzki, aiming to earn the same level of respect. "I tried to emulate as much as I can all the great players, but I took a lot from Dirk," he explained.

Adding a special touch to the evening, a video message from Dirk Nowitzki himself was played on the video board after the Rockets' victory. In the message, Nowitzki praised Durant, saying, "It's been incredible to watch his career. Like I said, he's one of the purest scorers this game has ever seen. And so, congrats KD, keep it going. Move up a couple more spots and keep it up."

Durant expressed his gratitude for the thoughtful gesture, highlighting Nowitzki's character: "For him to take time out of his day to send me a message on passing him on the charts is pretty cool. It speaks to how humble Dirk is."