Kevin Durant believes Michael Jordan easily had the scoring pace to stand beside LeBron James in basketball’s 40,000-point club, but he says time away from the game changed that path.
Speaking to The Ringer, Durant explained why Jordan’s career total looks different than James’ despite Jordan’s unmatched scoring standard.
“He could’ve played past 40, too,” Durant said. “I would say MJ took off four to five years combined. You give him 300 more games of 30 points a night. That’s not an exaggeration. That’s what he averaged, 30!”
Durant pointed directly to Jordan’s retirements and pauses away from basketball as the reason he never reached the same territory James eventually claimed through uninterrupted longevity.
“MJ took time off,” Durant added. “It’s times where he was like, ‘I’m sick of the game. I want to take time off and regroup and come back into the game.’ And that’s what he did. Bron, he played straight through.”
The comment came at a fitting time for Durant, who now sits just 68 points behind Jordan on the all-time scoring list and continues climbing through basketball history at age 37.
Earlier this calendar year, Durant already passed Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki, adding more legendary names behind him as he approaches another major milestone.
“He’s the standard,” Durant said of Jordan. “He’s the blueprint of this whole thing.”
Durant Owns Houston’s Collapse Against Lakers
The scoring conversation arrived after a frustrating night for Durant and the Houston Rockets, who controlled much of the game before fading badly in the fourth quarter.
Houston led 57-51 at halftime, with Durant scoring 16 of his 18 points before the break, per Fade Away World. The veteran looked sharp early, attacking comfortably in isolation and off pick-and-roll actions while the game carried playoff-level intensity through three quarters.
Then everything changed.
Houston scored only four points during the final 6:12 and dropped a 100-92 decision after Durant managed just two second-half points and committed several costly turnovers late.
He did not hesitate when asked about what happened.
“I just feel like I lost the game for us tonight,” Durant said. “My teammates could probably make more threes, but it’s all on me. To be honest, I’m the offense, and the opposing teams throw all their resources at not letting me get comfortable.”
Houston finished 5-for-26 from beyond the arc, a number Durant repeatedly referenced while breaking down the loss.
“I missed two wide-open threes when we were up one at one point and could’ve pushed us up four,” he said.
Durant Sees a Different Offensive Adjustment Ahead
Durant said opposing defenses increasingly trap him high and dare Houston to create elsewhere, which may require him to shift how he attacks late in games.
“Maybe I’ve got to just get out of the way,” Durant said. “Get in the corner, space the floor out for other guys.”
He added that he may need to become more active without the ball rather than forcing creation against heavy pressure.
“Just set screens, catch and shoot, space the floor out for my teammates,” Durant said. “I don’t need to have the ball as much as I did tonight.”
For a player still chasing Jordan statistically while calling him basketball’s blueprint, Durant made it clear that even historic scorers continue searching for cleaner answers when defenses close every window.
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