O'Neal becomes seventh player to reach 25,000 points

Shaquille O'Neal went over the 25,000-point mark for his NBA career during the Miami Heat's loss to the New York Knicks on Monday.

He quickly got the five points he needed to reach 25,000 for his career. He is the top scorer among active players, 14th overall in NBA history, and the seventh to reach 25,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.

The milestone basket came with 6:04 left in the first quarter when he muscled Knicks forward Malik Rose in the paint, backed him up and then scored over him.

O'Neal with 20 points, but he made only one of two free throws with 43.7 seconds remaining when he could have tied it.

"I am kind of disappointed in myself because if I make free throws I'd be at 30,000 rather than 25,000," O'Neal said.

The 15-year NBA veteran is the first to hit the scoring milestone since Indiana's Reggie Miller in March 2005. O'Neal, limited to just 17 of Miami's first 56 games this season because of a knee injury, came in with 11,193 rebounds.

He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes and Hakeem Olajuwon as those with 25,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.