Kevin Durant vs. Michael Jordan: Career Scoring Comparison
We break down the scoring legacies of Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant to determine who has the better numbers. Here you can compare their career totals, points per game, games of 40+ points, 50+, etc. and their year-by-year scoring averages side by side, both in the Regular Season and Playoffs.
Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant are among the most prolific scorers in NBA history—combining for an staggering season total of 63,020 points—and they also have two of the all-time best scoring averages (with MJ at the top of the list). Here we compare all their scoring stats.
By taking a look at their career numbers for points, the first conclusion one can arrive at is that Michael Jordan has better scoring stats than Kevin Durant in averages and totals, both in the regular season and Playoffs. However, we won't stop there and we'll go into detail to analyze what these statistics are made up of, from how many games they had in each threshold (30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc.) to their season-by-season scoring averages.
On this page we compare: |
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Who has better scoring stats? Career Numbers |
Career Numbers
Who has the better scoring stats?
Points in the Regular Season
In his 15 NBA regular seasons played, Michael Jordan averages 2.9 points more than Kevin Durant in his 18 seasons (30.1 points against 27.2), and he also scored a total of 1,564 points more (32,292 vs. 30,728).
Points Per Game | Seasons | ||
| Kevin Durant | 27.2 | 18 | |
| Michael Jordan | 30.1 | +2.9 | 15 |
Total Points | Seasons | ||
| Kevin Durant | 30,728 | 18 | |
| Michael Jordan | 32,292 | +1,564 | 15 |
Scoring Titles | ||
| Kevin Durant | 4 |  |
| Michael Jordan | 10 | +6 |
Points in the Playoffs
Similar to what happens in the regular season, in the NBA postseason Michael Jordan has a better career point average than Kevin Durant (+4.1 points per game) and he also scored more points (+1,002).
Points Per Game | Playoffs | ||
| Kevin Durant | 29.3 | 13 | |
| Michael Jordan | 33.4 | +4.1 | 13 |
Total Points | Playoffs | ||
| Kevin Durant | 4,985 | 13 | |
| Michael Jordan | 5,987 | +1,002 | 13 |
Points by Thresholds
Regular Season
60+ Point Games | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 0 | |||
| Michael Jordan | 4 | +4 | ||
20+ Point Games | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 965 | +39 | ||
| Michael Jordan | 926 | |||
10+ Point Games | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 1,118 | +59 | ||
| Michael Jordan | 1,059 | |||
1+ Point Games (games with points) | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 1,128 | +56 | ||
| Michael Jordan | 1,072 | |||
0 Point Games (games without points) | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 1 | +1 | ||
| Michael Jordan | 0 | |||
Playoffs
60+ Point Games | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 0 | |||
| Michael Jordan | 1 | +1 | ||
20+ Point Games | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 156 | |||
| Michael Jordan | 173 | +17 | ||
10+ Point Games | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 170 | |||
| Michael Jordan | 179 | +9 | ||
1+ Point Games (games with points) | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 170 | |||
| Michael Jordan | 179 | +9 | ||
0 Point Games (games without points) | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 0 | |||
| Michael Jordan | 0 | |||
Career Shooting Stats Comparison
Regular Season
Stats Per Game
| Pts | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | Yrs | Gms | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 27.2 | 9.4 | 18.7 | 50.2 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 39.0 | 6.5 | 7.4 | 88.2 | 18 | 1,129 |
| difference: | +2.9 | +2.0 | +4.2 | +0.5 | +1.5 | +3.3 | +6.3 | +0.3 | +0.8 | +4.7 | +3 | +57 |
| Michael Jordan | 30.1 | 11.4 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 32.7 | 6.8 | 8.2 | 83.5 | 15 | 1,072 |
Total Stats
| Pts | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | Yrs | Gms | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 30,728 | 10,591 | 21,095 | 50.2 | 2,202 | 5,650 | 39.0 | 7,344 | 8,326 | 88.2 | 18 | 1,129 |
| difference: | +1,564 | +1,601 | +3,442 | +0.5 | +1,621 | +3,872 | +6.3 | +17 | +446 | +4.7 | +3 | +57 |
| Michael Jordan | 32,292 | 12,192 | 24,537 | 49.7 | 581 | 1,778 | 32.7 | 7,327 | 8,772 | 83.5 | 15 | 1,072 |
Playoffs
Stats Per Game
| Pts | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | Yrs | Gms | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 29.3 | 9.9 | 20.8 | 47.7 | 2.2 | 6.1 | 35.6 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 86.8 | 13 | 170 |
| difference: | +4.1 | +2.3 | +4.3 | +0.9 | +1.4 | +3.6 | +2.4 | +0.8 | +1.4 | +4.0 | +9 | |
| Michael Jordan | 33.4 | 12.2 | 25.1 | 48.7 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 33.2 | 8.2 | 9.9 | 82.8 | 13 | 179 |
Total Stats
| Pts | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | Yrs | Gms | ||||
| Kevin Durant | 4,985 | 1,684 | 3,528 | 47.7 | 366 | 1,029 | 35.6 | 1,251 | 1,441 | 86.8 | 13 | 170 |
| difference: | +1,002 | +504 | +969 | +0.9 | +218 | +583 | +2.4 | +212 | +325 | +4.0 | +9 | |
| Michael Jordan | 5,987 | 2,188 | 4,497 | 48.7 | 148 | 446 | 33.2 | 1,463 | 1,766 | 82.8 | 13 | 179 |
Year by Year Points Average Comparison
= NBA Scoring Leader
= NBA ChampionRegular Season
Rookie Season | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | 20.3 | 2008 | 80 | |
| Michael Jordan | 28.2 | +7.9 | 1985 | 82 |
Season 2 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | 25.3 | +2.6 | 2009 | 74 |
| Michael Jordan | 22.7 | 1986 | 18 | |
Season 3 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | 30.1 | 2010 | 82 | |
| Michael Jordan | 37.1 | +7.0 | 1987 | 82 |
Kevin Durant's additional seasons: | ||||
* Kevin Durant played 4 seasons more than Michael Jordan in the NBA. In those years—his seasons 16 to 19, from 2023 to 2026—he averaged 27.4 points in a total of 190 regular season games. During that period, his highest average was 29.1 ppg and his lowest 26.2. |
Playoffs
Rookie Season | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | - | DNP | 2008 | 0 |
| Michael Jordan | 29.3 | +29.3 | 1985 | 4 |
Season 2 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | - | DNP | 2009 | 0 |
| Michael Jordan | 43.7 | +43.7 | 1986 | 3 |
Season 3 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | 25.0 | 2010 | 6 | |
| Michael Jordan | 35.7 | +10.7 | 1987 | 3 |
Season 8 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | - | DNP | 2015 | 0 |
| Michael Jordan | 34.5 | +34.5 | 1992 | 22 |
Season 14 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | 26.3 | +26.3 | 2022 | 4 |
| Michael Jordan | - | DNP | 2002 | 0 |
Season 15 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Kevin Durant | 29.0 | +29.0 | 2023 | 11 |
| Michael Jordan | - | DNP | 2003 | 0 |
Kevin Durant's additional Playoffs: | ||||
* During his 4 additional NBA seasons, Kevin Durant played in two Playoffs. In those postseasons he averaged 28.4 points in a total of 15 games. His highest playoff average during that period was 29 ppg and his lowest 26.8. |