Ageless legends! NBA officially praises four superstars: James, Durant, Curry, and Harden jointly break scoring records

On January 13th Beijing time, the NBA official website posted praise for four superstars—James, Durant, Curry, and Harden—who have set new scoring records, earning the title of the league’s timeless legends. Here is the relevant content from the official site—

There is a common saying: time is an undefeated thief, but these NBA veterans might challenge that notion.

In NBA history, only seven players have averaged over 20 points per game in their 17th season or later—and this season, four players have achieved this feat.

The full list is as follows (an asterisk * indicates this season):

LeBron James (7 times)*

Kevin Durant (2 times)*

James Harden (1 time)*

Stephen Curry (1 time)*

Kobe Bryant (1 time)

Karl Malone (1 time)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1 time)

Recently, on January 10, Durant reached another milestone: surpassing Wilt Chamberlain to become seventh on the NBA all-time scoring list. Given his current form, Durant needs only five more games to pass Dirk Nowitzki (sixth place) and 33 more games to overtake Michael Jordan (fifth place), entering the top five in all-time scoring.

Durant, James, and Harden continue to prove that age is just a number, while Curry himself is experiencing another legendary season in his career. Let’s review the highlights of Durant, James, Curry, and Harden so far this season—

Durant surpasses Chamberlain, continuing his scoring legacy

In a rare moment, even the visiting fans showed respect for the opponent’s greatness: Durant hit a three-pointer in the third quarter to surpass Chamberlain and claim seventh place on the NBA all-time scoring list. Before the game, he needed only 15 points to reach this milestone and quickly entered scoring mode, finishing with 30 points, though his team lost 103-111 to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Durant’s scoring resume is already impressive; he is one of the few players in NBA history to win multiple scoring titles (4 times), tied for third all-time with George Gervin, behind only Michael Jordan (10 times) and Wilt Chamberlain (7 times).

Back in early December 2025, Durant became the eighth player in league history to surpass 31,000 career points, tying LeBron James as the third-fastest player to reach this milestone.

This season, he is averaging 26.2 points per game, demonstrating what it means to get better with age through his enduring career performance.

LeBron James regains form, still unstoppable at his age

After missing the Lakers’ first 14 games of the season, LeBron returned on November 18 and steadily regained his rhythm: averaging 16.5 points in 4 games in November, 21.6 points in 11 games in December, and boosting to 28.3 points per game in 4 games in January.

On January 7, the Lakers defeated the Pelicans 111-103, marking the fourth time LeBron and Luka Doncic both scored 30+ points in the same game since teaming up.

Now in his record-breaking 23rd NBA season, even at 41 years old, LeBron shows no signs of slowing down on the court.

Curry’s explosive December: multiple records achieved

In a tightly contested game with lead changes in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves ultimately beat the Warriors 127-120.

Curry set a strong tone for the season opener: scoring 42 points in the Warriors’ home opener against the Denver Nuggets, leading the team to victory.

As the season progressed, Curry clearly demonstrated he is aging in reverse. In two consecutive November games against the San Antonio Spurs, he scored 40+ points back-to-back, earning a rare chance—to surpass Michael Jordan for the most 35+ point games after age 30 in NBA history.

On December 13 against the Timberwolves, Curry scored 39 points, successfully achieving this milestone.

In the very next game on December 15 against the Portland Trail Blazers, Curry exploded for 48 points, again surpassing Jordan to become the player with the most 40+ point games after age 30 in league history. This marked his 45th career 40+ point game, setting a new NBA record; it was also his fourth 40+ point game this season and the 75th 40+ point game in his regular season career.

In the year-end showdown, Curry became the 22nd player in NBA history to surpass 26,000 career points. On December 30, he passed Kevin Garnett to move up to 21st on the all-time scoring list. On January 1, Curry achieved his 400th regular-season game with 5 or more made three-pointers.

Harden’s legendary week: sets record as oldest player with 40+ point triple-double

On November 15, the Clippers defeated the Mavericks in double overtime, with Harden posting a triple-double of 41 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a 40+ point triple-double.

Look at the following stats—can you spot the common thread?

41 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists

37 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists

35 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists

23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

These are all recent Harden game stats, constantly reminding fans that he remains at the top tier of the league.

On the night he recorded the 40+ point triple-double, Harden not only became the first player in Clippers history to achieve this feat but also claimed the title of the oldest player in NBA history to do so. This was his eighth triple-double since joining the Clippers, setting a new team record.

Currently, Harden has accumulated 17 career 40+ point triple-doubles, second only to Oscar Robertson’s 22, ranking him second all-time.

On December 7, 2025, Harden surpassed Carmelo Anthony to become the tenth highest scorer in NBA history, firmly establishing himself among the league’s elite scorers. He now needs just 15 points to pass Shaquille O’Neal and move into ninth place all-time.