Shaquille O'Neal issues challenge for Kevin Durant after Suns' All-Star passes him for No. 8

Kevin Durant was on the cusp of history heading into the Phoenix Suns’ matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The “Slim Reaper” needed nine points to move past the legendary Shaquille O’Neal for eighth in the all-time points ladder. Durant hit a mid-range jumper with a little over 10 minutes in the third quarter to accomplish the feat.

O’Neal, who was part of the “Inside the NBA” crew covering the game, had this to say after "KD" surpassed his total points in the NBA:

“First of all, I wanna say congratulations for passing me to become eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Well deserved. You know it doesn’t stop here. I probably see you at, see if you can get to No. 1.

"Job well done. I knew it was gonna get done. If anybody was gonna pass me, it was definitely gonna be you. Durantula!”

Kevin Durant has played in 159 games fewer than Shaquille O’Neal to break the iconic big man’s scoring mark of 28,596. This season, "KD" has passed Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, Carmelo Anthony and O’Neal in the all-time points ladder.

He is roughly 3,000 points away from another legendary big man for seventh. Wilt Chamberlain, who has compiled 31,419 career points, will be his next target.

Dirk Nowitzki at No. 6 with 31,560 is also on the horizon, as Durant has shown no signs of decline. If the former OKC Thunder superstar remains healthy, those two could be overtaken next season.

---

Taking on Shaquille O’Neal’s challenge will be tough for Kevin Durant

LeBron James sits atop the totem pole of career-scoring leaders. He has 40,179 points and counting. “King James” is the only one who has breached the 40K-point barrier and he isn’t done adding to his total. Nobody in NBA history has paired durability and mind-boggling scoring consistency than the four-time MVP.

But, if there’s a player who can chase down the “L-Train,” it might just be Kevin Durant. But, he will have a lot to make up to even sniff James’ output. Durant has already missed one full season due to an Achilles injury. He also has not played more than 60 games since the 2018-19 season until the 2023-24 campaign.

One can easily argue that "KD" is just as consistent as LeBron James. The former Golden State Warriors star just has not been as healthy as the all-time points leader. It’s anybody’s guess if Durant can stay motivated to play into his 40s. If he remains focused and determined at that age, he might get a chance to dethrone LeBron James.

Overtaking James will be close to impossible. Kevin Durant will need to keep up his consistency and pray that he stays healthy. If both can happen, he will have a big chance of doing just as Shaquille O’Neal challenged him to do so.