You’d think so soon after a historic climb up the NBA’s all-time scoring ladder, Kevin Durant would wait before looking at the rearview mirror.  But he’s already looking at the next generation of offensive dynamos within days of surpassing Michael Jordan. In a sitdown with Boardroom, the Houston Rockets veteran is already waiting for the moment he gets pushed out of top 5 of the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

When asked by the interviewer if a player in 20 years might be “passing KD on the scoring list,” Durant was quick to shorten the timeline. “Something sooner than that. I think Ant [Anthony Edwards], bro,” KD said.

He didn’t stop at the Minnesota Timberwolves’ explosive guard. “There’s a lot of guys on… Luka [Doncic] be on the way. You know, they hitting those marks that I hit at that time. LeBron hit, Kobe hit at those, at that age.”

Reflecting on the disciplined formula required to reach the league’s stratosphere of scorers, he can see the new generation of players matching it. He believes his own massive career total won’t stand for long. He emphasized that the pursuit is as much about health as it is about skill. “You got to stay healthy. Everything’s got to work,” he noted.

It might sound a little premature for KD to want his record broken only a day after he got there. But to Slim, the game is no longer just about personal accolades, but ensuring he leaves an impact that pushes these younger stars to eclipse him. “I just hope that moment, especially for them, like it is for me passing the greats that I looked up to or watched when I was younger… I hope I left that impact on the game in that way.”

This switch marks a reflective phase for Durant, who sees these milestones not just as numbers, but as a testament to the sheer endurance required to outlast the ghost of Michael Jordan.

Kevin Durant feels content with Michael Jordan milestone

Moving past Michael Jordan to claim the fifth spot in the all-time scoring list should become a lifelong flex. But it had the opposite effect on Kevin Durant. After accomplishing the milestone, he spoke about his gratitude to His Airness for inspiring him. Clearly this achievement has put his entire career into perspective.

The milestone is a secondary result of a 19-year obsession with routine. “It’s cool to have these conversations about what I’ve done on the floor, but that’s for everybody else,” Durant admitted on Boardroom. “It speaks to how long I’ve been around and how consistent I’ve been as a player… passing guys is just always cool to be in that same conversation as them more than anything.”

Durant’s climb into the top five is particularly impressive given he missed nearly two full seasons due to an Achilles injury and the pandemic-shortened schedules. While fans often speculate on what-if scenarios regarding his missed games, Durant refuses to dwell on the points left on the table.

“It would have been cool to have 200 games back and see how many points I would score… but I’m still here. I’m still around doing what I love to do,” he told the interviewer. Not only did he name Ant and Luka as the future top 5 scorers, he cited the legendary durability of Karl Malone and the current unprecedented longevity of LeBron James as his primary inspirations for staying in the lab at age 37.

He might just manifest it to reality. Anthony Edwards recently had a 55-point stunner. Luka Doncic had 44-points against KD and the Rockets which was followed by a 60-point game against Miami, the second 60-point game by a Laker since Kobe Bryant’s ‘Mamba Out’ finale in 2016.

As Edwards and Doncic continue their ascent, they are chasing a bar set by a man who views 32,294 points not as a destination, but as a byproduct of never missing a day at the office.