Passing a legend often shifts narratives. However, Kevin Durant chose to stay humble after moving ahead of Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list. The milestone placed Durant among the most elite scorers in league history. Still, the conversation did not turn into a comparison. Instead, as Durant directed it to a reflection on the legacy of the NBA legend.



Of course, Jordan is arguably the greatest NBA player of all time. While some fans and analysts debate over LeBron James and Kobe Bryant bringing them into the greatest of all time player picture, Jordan’s influence on the game and the league has been astonishing. Further, the cultural impact has also made him a global icon of sports.



Kevin Durant showers praise on Michael Jordan




Kevin Durant addressed the milestone on his Boardroom podcast, and his words left little room for doubt about where Jordan stands.



“MJ is just bigger than the game. I mean, no matter who passes him in stats, who wins more, it’s going to be hard to go 6-0. Even if you were to pass him in anything, just his impact on the sport and culture in general is just too big. Like you said, he hovers above the sport from what he produced on the court, but also his personality, his aura is just too hard to get away from. And that’s just from dominance on the floor.”



Durant further explained, pointing to gaps in Jordan’s career that often get overlooked. “Like I’ve been saying, I said this in a few interviews, he also had a year where he broke his foot, retired for a year, after the second three-peat, I think he sat out for three more years and played again when he was 38.”



“So I think he can say he missed some games too. If he played more, his numbers would have been even higher. But like I said, it’s bigger than the stats with MJ. And I don’t think he has an equal in any industry.”



His point lands with context. Jordan’s six Finals wins without a loss, combined with time away from the game, shape a resume that still drives comparisons today.



Shaquille O'Neal declares Michael Jordan a GOAT



Shaquille O'Neal brings another perspective. He faced Jordan, shared the court with Kobe Bryant, and played alongside LeBron James. His view comes from direct experience across eras.



“In high school, Mike was like ‘ah’ but then when you playing with him, like this motherf—–r was really like that. No, he was really like that. Kobe came in with the mentality, but he didn’t have it, right? So, I used to beat him up all the time. We used to beat him out.”



O’Neal further compared, “I’m not familiar with Mike’s first couple years, but it’s just different. LeBron is is a bigger Magic Johnson to me. The game is different.” “And you know, you made a good point about how we all had our time. I hate when they try to compare generation, but they ask me the question all the time and I’m always give the same answer,”



“Mike is the greatest of all time because of how he played, how he dominated and he never lost in the finals. So I know a lot of people going to see this like you said and oh he doing this and he do that.”



“I played with Kobe. I know what a killer he was. But to me, as a kid and going against him, then being the only guy to beat him in the playoffs, for him to retire after three and then come back and get three. Yeah. He was a different animal,” O’Neal concluded.



Jordan’s dominance, combined with his lasting impact, keeps his legacy firmly intact.