At the start of the 2023-24 season, NBA legend Larry Bird was in 36th place on the league’s all-time scoring list. On Sunday, his 21,791 points were surpassed by Steph Curry, and he will likely fall two more spots just a week into the current campaign.
Larry Bird’s Name Moves Down NBA All-Time Scoring List
DeMar DeRozan needs just 33 points to surpass Larry Bird on the all-time scoring list 🤯
Is he a future hall of famer? pic.twitter.com/aLbRIEhohT
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 30, 2023
As of Monday afternoon and before the Warriors take the court against the Pelicans, Golden State guard Chris Paul is sitting just four points behind Bird on the list. While Paul has been relegated to bench duty upon the return of Draymond Green to the lineup, few games go without him scoring 5 points. Look for Paul to surpass Bird and move into the 37 spot sooner rather than later.
It may take a couple of more games for DeMar DeRozen, but the Bulls’ forward will be moving his way up the NBA all-time scoring list as well. The 15-year veteran needs 34 points to surpass Larry Bird, and he’ll get his first shot to chip away at the mark on Monday night when Chicago takes on Indiana. In the small sample size so far this year, DeRozen is averaging 24.3 points per game over the first three. But one of them was a 33-point outburst against Toronto, so it is still possible that he hits the milestone tonight.
If he doesn’t, then he likely will on Wednesday night when the Bulls play the Mavericks.
Lillard Will Be The Next To Catch The Legend
Chris Paul is coming off the bench for the first time in his 19-year career 😳 pic.twitter.com/3kTkG6UZpK
— ESPN (@espn) October 29, 2023
Bird will be safe for a while at the 39th spot on the list. Damian Lillard should be the next active player to pass him, but the Milwaukee guard is still well over 2,000 points behind. Paul George and Giannis Antetokounmpo both have fewer than 17,000 points.
There aren’t many active players ahead of Curry, Paul, and DeRozen on the NBA all-time scoring list. LeBron James is of course the active and overall leader, with Kevin Durant in 12th and James Harden in 25th. Russell Westbrook is in 27th but could pass his old teammate if Harden doesn’t return soon, as there is a gap shorter than 200 points between the two.
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