A slew of scoring milestones established this season by today’s biggest stars.
Lebron James reached of the 30,000 point plateau, Carmelo Anthony breached the 25,000 point mark, Kevin Durant passed the 20,000 point mark, and James Harden knocked in the 15,000th point of his career.
James officially reached 30,000 last January 23 during a 114-102 Cleveland loss to the San Antonio Spurs. By doing so, he became the 7th member of the 30,000 point club.
He also became the youngest to attain such feat, doing so at age 33 years and 24 days. He displaced Kobe Bryant, who did it when he was 34 years and 104 days old.
James needed seven points to reach the milestone. He finished the night with 28.
James also was the youngest to reach 20,000 points (28 years and 17 days) and 25,000 points (30 years and 307 days).
It should be noted, though, that James was only 18 when he was drafted to play in the NBA by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Anthony officially scored his 25,000th point of his NBA career by sinking the first of two free throw attempts during the second half of a 121-108 Oklahoma City Thunder win against Detroit last January 27.
Anthony is the 21st player ever to reach this milestone. He needed 17 points before the game to get the feat. He finished 21 for the night.
Anthony is the fifth youngest to make it to 25,000 points, behind James, Bryant, Wilt chamberlain and Karl Malone.
Kevin Durant reached 20,000 on January 10, 2018 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Durant is the 44th player to reach this mark.
Durant needed 25 points before the match to complete the milestone. He finished the night with 40. Golden State, though was missing Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to absorb a 106-125 loss.
Durant overtakes Bryant for second youngest in reaching the landmark. Durant is 29 years and 103 days old when he hit the mark. Bryant did it when he was 29 years and 122 days old.
Only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain were the others who reached 20,000 points before 30 years of age.
Pau Gasol and Joe Johnson were latest additions to the 20,000 point club, having accomplished the feat late during last year’s regular season.
Harden scored 35 points for the Houston Rockets in a 123-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on February 6. Harden needed only 11 before the game to reach the milestone.
Harden is the 137th player in NBA history to record 15,000 points. He passed Mike Mitchell on the same night for 136th place in the all-time scoring list.
Richard Jefferson need only 100 points to join the 15,000 points club but it might take an drastic change in the Denver Nuggets’ line-up for him to achieve that. Jeffreson just played in 16 of the 52 games of the Nuggets had completed this season. He is just averaging 1.6 points in 8.6 minutes on the floor.
Dirk Nowitzki has 30,913 points as we go to press. If he plays the next eight games and maintains his current average of 12.1, he should become the sixth member of the 31,000 point club that includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419).
Lebron should be joining them next year.
BY: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS