(Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
Although his Phoenix Suns blew a sizable lead and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, Kevin Durant did manage to make some history.
By scoring 39 points, he passed Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon to move into 12th place on the NBA’s all-time career scoring list.
Afterward, Durant said that his mother “had a crush on Olajuwon” when he was a little kid and that she told him to study the legendary big man, per the NBA’s official Twitter account.
“My mom had a crush on Olajuwon when I was a kid… that’s all I used to hear in the house” pic.twitter.com/Qn5Kem4Rl7
— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2023
Olajuwon may not have been the greatest center in NBA history, but he was likely the most skilled one ever, and he is widely considered one of the top 15 players of all time.
He had career averages of 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots a game, and in the mid-1990s, he was at his absolute peak as he led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back world championships.
Olajuwon’s footwork and post moves were as good as those of any other big man, and to this day, he mentors young players on such skills.
Durant is now in his 16th pro season, and after being traded to the Suns midway through last season per his request, he is searching for his third ring, one that may finally validate his greatness in the eyes of the public at large.
Although he was instrumental in the Golden State Warriors winning back-to-back rings in 2017 and 2018, many don’t give him full credit for them because he joined them in 2016 after they had already won a title in 2015 and won 73 regular season games the following season.
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