Why Rockets’ Kevin Durant doesn’t care about never scoring 60 points in a game

Houston Rockets All-Star forward Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, but he has never recorded a 60-point game. His career high is 55, but his pace and legacy are far more important to the 19-year veteran. Only Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James can relate to Durant’s longevity and dominance as Kevin approaches his second decade in the association.

Durant explained why he’s never been interested in scoring 60 points in a game, he said, per The Ringer’s Michael Lee.

“I’m in it for the long haul, man,” Durant said. “I just want to win the game and go home. I know that’s been a talking point for me: ‘You don’t have 60, 70.’ You can’t just look at a 60-point game and say, ‘That’s what KD about.’ You got to look at my whole career and really dissect what I did to truly understand the type of player I am. I like it that way.

“It’s more of a story that way. I don’t want to be a flash in the pan. I just wanted to be consistently great. I haven’t had 60, but it’s a lot of stats that I’ve created on my own.”

Durant is the only player in NBA history to finish a season with 56.0/40.4/91.9 percent shooting splits, a feat he accomplished in 2022-23. Kevin says it’s a testament to the sacrifices he’s made to prolong his career, leaving friends, partying, and having fun behind. However, to remain consistent, he realized he hadn’t given up anything.

Kevin Durant on his NBA scoring legacy

Rockets All-Star Kevin Durant was double-teamed by the Lakers in the clutch of a 100-92 loss on Monday. It’s the kind of treatment you get when you’re one of the game’s elite scorers. Durant finished with 18 points on 8-for-16 shooting.

Besides Lakers All-Star LeBron James, Durant is the only NBA player to average 25+ points for so long, which is a nod to his consistent approach.

“He and LeBron are the only players to average at least 25 points for more than 12 seasons,” as Lee noted. “Durant has never had a game in which he made more than 19 field goals and has averaged fewer than 19 shots a game for his career. The night he scored his career-high 55 points, he took just 28 shots. The night he scored his career-high 55 points, he took just 28 shots.

“He also reached 32,000 points in fewer games than any player other than Jordan. To which Durant asked, “What’s more important to some people—that or 60 points?” Durant remains the youngest NBA scoring champion and the youngest to win three scoring titles in a row.”

Durant has always played the long game.

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