Kevin Durant closed the night with a milestone earned through his trademark touch. Shot by shot, he inched toward a mark reached by only seven players before him. Having faced heaping scrutiny throughout his career, this milestone of 31,000 points signified just how elite and accomplished KD is. And when the moment arrived, Durant’s focus turned not to the number itself but to the people who helped him reach it.

Like many, basketball was an escape for Durant. He went through rough conditions growing up, but was surrounded by people dedicated to helping him reach greatness.

“I’m grateful I’m still here in the league at this age, playing and contributing to a team,” said Durant.

“Just grateful for having so many great teammates, coaches that, like I said the other day, invested in me and got me better and spent time away from their families and their lives to help me get better at basketball… I think about that more so than anything else. Just the long journey it takes to, you know, stay around the league this long,” Durant further added.

You can think of endless names who assisted Kevin Durant. When winning his MVP trophy, the Slim Reaper spoke emotionally about the sacrifices his mother, Wanda, made that enabled him to focus on basketball.

KD’s number 35 is an homage to his childhood coach, Charles Craig, who taught him the game when he was just eight years old. Several NBA coaches and teammates poured into him throughout the course of his illustrious career.

Now at 37 and having reached a territory only a handful of players have entered, Durant recalls their efforts in getting him here. Then some set a precedent for KD to follow. All the players he just joined vicariously played a part in motivating the dynamic forward.

Kevin Durant thanks his heroes for setting the benchmark

Seven other icons are part of the 31k club. Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Karl Malone. More than half of them never shared a floor with Kevin Durant. However, watching them as a young kid, they appeared as “heroes”. Like other kids, KD wanted to be like them.

But once he reached the NBA, that’s when his mindset shifted. He wasn’t chasing these names, but learning from their example. It was always about trying to be the best version of himself, and not about being like somebody else. Kevin Durant chose to follow that mantra and achieved what he sought.

“I wouldn’t say I try to compete with them or overtake them, but guys like Wilt, Michael, Kobe, I’m missing so many guys. They just set a standard that I try to reach every day,” Durant explained. “So, I didn’t look at him as something that was out of my realm or I just felt like if I locked in and did what I did, I can be mentioned in the same breath as those guys. So, that’s the confidence I had”.

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His legacy is a polarizing conversation. Analysts put an asterisk on his two titles with the Warriors.

However, what never changed was Durant’s devotion to doing everything he could for the team. His reaching 31,000 career points is a testament to his longevity and pure love of the game of basketball. Looking back at the entire journey, Durant has to be mentioned in the same breath as his heroes. It’s undeniable now, and KD isn’t finished writing his story.

With the Rockets poised for a strong campaign in the West, Durant’s resume could add another glittering accolade if the team delivers on the championship aspirations.