Kevin Durant praises Allen Iverson after passing him on the all-time NBA scoring list
Kevin Durant moved into 25th place overall on the NBA’s all-time scoring list a few days ago, passing former 76ers legend Allen Iverson on the list. As we all know, KD is an absolute monster on the basketball court and with each passing day, continues to climb the ladder in being one of the greatest basketball players of all time. After passing Iverson on the all-time scoring list, Kevin Durant had nothing but praise for the 76ers legend and Hall of Famer.
In a recent article on ESPN, Kevin Durant explained how big of a deal it was to pass Iverson on the scoring list because of how much he meant to him when he was younger and trying to figure out his own game.
“I mean, it means the world. I dedicated my life to this game at an early age … so I watched all these guys that I’m like passing up.
“I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be in the NBA like them, and make an impact in the league like them. So Iverson, he was the pantheon for me. One of those guys that I emulated every time I went outside and played with my friends. It’s all surreal. I pictured I would be in the league, and had an idea … but to do it is pretty special.
“I really became a huge Iverson fan, obviously, just like everybody else his rookie year. But seeing him at Georgetown and playing for coach [John] Thompson and that whole culture that they built there, he was a huge part of that. But once he came to the league, he had players … I was a center, power forward on my young team, and we all were long crossing and double crossing. He influenced a lot of people.
“So to pass him on the list and to be up there with some of the greats on that list is incredible. I’ve just got to keep going.” – Kevin Durant
These two have praised one another for several years, with Durant calling Iverson “pound for pound” the best basketball player several years ago.
Iverson now drops to 26th all-time in NBA history with 24,368 points. With players like James Harden (1.929 points) and Russell Westbrook (2,112 points) creeping up on A.I. it’s likely he will fall further down the list before either player’s career comes to an end.
