Durant becomes eighth player in the NBA story to score 30,000

Phoenix-Kevin Durant became the eighth player in the NBA story to score 30,000 points and hit the brand in a 119-112 loss to Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night with a free kick late in the third quarter.

The 36-year-old Phoenix Suns, who was recently voted for his 15th All-Star team, joins LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain in 30,000 -Point club. Julius Erving also hit the brand when he combined his points, scored in NBA and ABA.

Durant is a four-time NBA scoring champion and is still one of the league’s elite shot producers in his 17th NBA season. He average approx. 27 points per Battle while shooting 52% off the field. He scored 17,566 points over his first nine seasons with Oklahoma City Thunder, who was Seattle Supersonics during his first season in 2007-08. He has also played for the Golden State Warriors (5,374 points), Brooklyn Nets (3,744) and Suns (3,324).

The joint comes less than a week after an eventful trade period full of speculation that the franchise was open to acting on 15-time all-star.

“It’s just part of the company,” Durant told journalists on practice on Monday. “Everyone has bought and sold in this league. Everyone can be at auction, so I understand it. It’s just about getting back on the field and trying to go out and play the game I love. However, it’s part of the business – We all have to understand it.

Suns ended up having a relatively quiet trade deadline and was about dissatisfied center Jusuf Nurkic to Charlotte Hornets, but kept the rest of their core intact. The team’s big three of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are still together as the franchise is trying to win the grounds.

Durant ended with 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting in Tuesday’s loss.

Associated Press contributed to this report.