The NBA had produced plenty of great talents through the years. We have already seen the best of the best share their God-given abilities on the hardwood, battling it out every night.
75 years since had passed since the league was established, but only a handful of players cracked a special milestone in their career – the 30,000 point record.
Only the greatest were able to see the other side of that rainbow: Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.
Today, let’s take a look at some current players who might have a ticket to this prestigious club. Also, there would be some assumptions that will be made:
- The player is assumed to be healthy in the coming season, or play at least 50 games each season
- Will play until the age of 40
- Played at least 13 seasons in the NBA
1. Kevin Durant
KD is currently sitting just well above the 25k point mark (25,115). The 33-year-old superstar forward is arguably the most prolific scorer the league has ever seen. He can score from both outside and inside, either by penetration or by jacking up jumpers.
Besides his NBA rookie year, KD never averaged below 25 points per game per season. If only he was not recently injured, he would probably be a bit closer to the 30k mark by now.
Assuming that he would average 20 PPG for the next seasons, it would only take him about 245 games. That is almost 3 full seasons or about 5 seasons of 50 games played.
2. Carmelo Anthony
During his Prime, Melo was an extremely skilled scorer. Up until now, he is still contributing a good amount of points for the Lakers even at the age of 37 years old. He currently has 28,189 total points in his career, just 1,811 points shy of the 30k record.
OTHER NEWS: LeBron James’ 30-10-10 Milestone
Melo is currently averaging 13.7 points a night for the Lakers. Just two years ago, he was already deemed as “washed” and was almost out of the league. Fortunately, he bounced back and redeemed himself with the Blazers.
He is more likely to reach 30,000 career points by the age of 40 if he continues his level of play, averaging 10-12 points per game.
3. James Harden
The Beard is probably the most lethal scorer on this list. He has won the scoring champion award three times (2018-2020). Specifically, his best NBA year was in 2018 when he averaged a whopping 36.1 points per contest.
Harden is famous for his controversial step-backs and the ability to get fouls. Currently, he is playing for the Sixers alongside star big man, Joel Embiid.
He is already 32 years old, but he is not yet slowing down. He’s currently averaging 23 points per outing and is sitting with a total of 23,219 points as we speak.
Let’s assume he consistently averages 20 PPG for the next 3 seasons, that would probably put him at 4,000 to 4,900 points (at the age of 35). That would bring him to a total of at least 27,219 career points.
Now, let’s say his level of play slows down and only averages 13 PPG until he turns 40 (50 games played per season). That would be sum up to another 3,250 points, give or take. If this comes true, by 40 years old, James Harden would be joining the 30k club with a total of 30,469 career points.
OTHER NEWS: Draymond Green Returns to GSW’s Line-Up Against the Wizards
Among these three greats, who do you think would get there first? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.   Â
Make sure you subscribe to our push-notifications and never miss an update from the world of video games, cinema, and sports. You can also follow us on Twitter @spieltimes for the latest PS5 restock and drop. Until next time, Stay Safe and Happy Gaming!
