"I honored him with the ball”: Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant pays tribute to Kevin Durant after reaching 30,000 career points

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morantshowered praise for Phoenix Suns veteran Kevin Durant as he became the eighth player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points on Tuesday, despite the Phoenix Suns falling 119-112 to the Memphis Grizzlies. Morant gave the game ball honoring the 15-time NBA All-Star’s latest record. Although the Grizzlies claimed their victory over the Suns, Durant stole the spotlight joining the elite club led by LeBron James.
Kevin Durant delivered a dominant performance, leading all scorers with 34 points while shooting an impressive 66.7% from the field. He knocked down three of his four attempts from beyond the arc and filled the stat sheet with three rebounds, three assists, and five blocks. Despite playing 43 minutes and making a major impact on both ends, his efforts weren’t enough to lift the Phoenix Suns to victory.
But joining the elite club, and with the fastest to claim the 30,000 career points was indeed a moment to celebrate for the Suns veteran. Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant who has been a long-time Durant fan came out to honor the former MVP by giving him the game ball.

"He is one of the greats. I honored him with the ball, he said he don’t care much about it. But everybody don't get 30,000 in this league. So hats off to him and I hope he keep going, we wanna see him out here,” Morant said in his postgame interview.
Although it might seem just another milestone for the Suns' superstar, he has joined the League of Legends including LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Wilt Chamberlain in the 30,000 club.
"The thing in this game is to gain respect from the hoopers that play. For Ja to show me that respect, it means a lot to me,” Durant acknowledged the kind gesture from the 25-year-old Grizzlies guard. “He’s a young player that I admired since he was in college, and I can see a few of these young players in the league reaching that milestone as well," he continued.

Durant added, “It’s a true honor to be in the same category as those players who helped shape the game and pushed the game forward. That’s always been my goal is to get the most out of myself every day, get the most out of my career. To be mentioned with those guys, I must be doing something right.”
Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer also hailed the superstar. “We’re amazed by him. The way he comes to work, the time he puts in, the attention to detail, the effort. And it’s translated to 30,000 points. He’s just a special player and a special human being,” Budenholzer said after Durant’s record.
Also Read: Kevin Durant makes history as the fastest NBA star to claim 30,000 points since Michael Jordan
The Phoenix Suns star entered the game needing 26 points to reach the milestone and achieved it in three quarters against the Memphis Grizzlies.