Only 15 points away! Durant is set to surpass Chamberlain and move up to 7th place in history, with teammates eager to witness the milestone.

On January 10 Beijing time, Durant is on the verge of unlocking another milestone; with just 15 additional points, he will surpass Wilt Chamberlain to become the 7th highest scorer in NBA history. The NBA has already begun promoting this landmark.

This Thursday, the Rockets fell 102-103 to the Trail Blazers, with Durant putting up 37 points and reaching a career total of 31,405 points. He needs 15 more to pass Chamberlain, who scored 31,419 points during his career from 1959 to 1973 and was the league's all-time leading scorer until Kareem Abdul-Jabbar surpassed him in 1984. If all goes as expected, Durant will claim sole possession of 7th place on the scoring list in today's Rockets vs. Trail Blazers game at the Moda Center.

Currently at 31,405 points, Durant is also closing in on 6th place. He is only 155 points behind Dirk Nowitzki's 31,560, and it’s highly likely he will surpass that mark during the Rockets' upcoming home game series.

However, Durant’s immediate goal is Chamberlain. The seven-time scoring champion once averaged 50.6 points per game in the 1961-62 season and delivered one of the most iconic offensive performances in league history—on March 3, 1962, he scored 100 points in a single game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks.

“When someone is about to surpass Wilt Chamberlain, you think about how many times he put the ball in the basket,” said Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. “That shows just how great a scorer Durant is and how outstanding a player he is. It also reflects how well he takes care of his body to stay healthy and perform at the highest level across so many seasons. His performance is truly amazing.”

At 37 years old, Durant is in his 17th NBA season (he missed the 2019-20 season due to an Achilles injury), yet he shows no signs of decline. In his first season with the Rockets, he averages 26.1 points per game, ranking tied for 14th in the league as of Friday.

His 37 points in the last game matched his season-high and marked his 12th game scoring 30 or more points this season. Rockets head coach Udoka, who worked with Durant on both the US Olympic team and the Brooklyn Nets, said Durant’s recent play confirms that signing him and extending a two-year, $90 million contract during last offseason’s trade was the right decision.

“His performance has been consistent and highly efficient, with no significant drop in form,” Udoka said. “His shooting percentage remains high, and his game no longer relies on athleticism but on basketball IQ and finding his scoring opportunities. He is one of the most efficient mid-range scorers in the league.”

“But when you see his professionalism and daily dedication, his performance is no surprise. I have worked with him on the US team and Nets, and faced him as an opposing coach multiple times. So, it’s no shock that he maintains such stability; when we got him, we knew he hadn’t declined in recent years.”

Last month, Durant became the eighth player in league history to surpass 31,000 career points. He admitted that standing alongside LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Nowitzki, and Chamberlain means a lot to him.

“When you first enter the league, you see these players as heroes, placing them on a pedestal,” Durant said. “You feel their achievements are sometimes out of reach.”

Now, as a veteran leader on the Rockets, Durant has become an idol to his current teammates, just as those legendary stars were his idols. When Durant debuted in the NBA for the relocated Seattle SuperSonics in the fall of 2007, Smith and Amen Thompson were only four years old. They have watched Durant play their entire lives, and in recent months, they finally fulfilled their dream of becoming his teammates.

Smith described the feeling as being like “a kid in a candy store.”

“At first, it felt unreal,” said Amen Thompson. “He’s the player you’ve watched since you were little. But if you get to know KD, you realize he’s just a regular guy—very kind and like everyone else, he plays video games. I think he’s done a great job shedding the superstar image; you just see him as a normal teammate.”

“It’s incredible. I can’t even imagine scoring so many points. I’ve always admired great players, and now witnessing it firsthand is overwhelming. You almost get used to it. If I weren’t part of this team, it might feel more unbelievable. But now, I see him every day, and he’s about to surpass Chamberlain.”