Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki was in the top six on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, but not anymore.
With his point production during the Houston Rockets’ 119-110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night, Kevin Durant passed Nowitzki and moved into sixth place on the list. Nowitzki scored 31,560 points over the course of his career. Durant now has 31,562, and counting.
After the accomplishment, Nowitzki reacted to being passed on the all-time list and congratulated Durant via video.
“Not super happy about him passing me, but, no seriously, to me he is one of the purest, smoothest scorers the game has ever seen,” Nowitzki said of Durant. “A seven-footer, basically, which he says he’s not. I think he’s a seven-footer with really a two guard’s game.
“The shot making, the off the dribble stuff, the off-balance stuff. There’s really nothing you can do to stop him one-on-one. He can always get a great shot up. … And so it’s been incredible to watch his career… And so, congrats KD. Keep it going. Move up a couple more spots and keep it up. Good luck.”
From one legend to another 🤝
Dirk Nowitzki congratulates Kevin Durant on becoming 𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 in @NBA scoring.@KDTrey5 | #AllFire pic.twitter.com/NPzptdzDRG
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 19, 2026
Nowitzki clearly has some serious respect for Durant, and that respect is mutual, as Durant referred to Nowitzki as a player he “idolized” throughout his career.
“To be up there with Dirk, somebody I looked up to, I idolized, I competed against,” Durant said. “We had some great battles. He always was supportive of my career and my game. So, you know to be up there with a legend like that, it’s just insane. And be right under Michael Jordan, it’s crazy man.
“I want to continue to keep stacking, keep climbing up the charts, just see how I finish. It’s been amazing so far.”
Now LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are the only players who have ever scored more points in the NBA than Durant.
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