With his pair of free throws in the 2nd quarter of Sunday’s contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan for 3rd all-time in scoring, surpassing the mark of 32,292 points.
Here is the basket that lifted Bryant over the mark:
Bryant has averaged 25.5 points a game across his 19-year career. That is less than Jordan’s 30.1 points per game, but Bryant has played in almost exactly 200 more games than Jordan (and counting).
The Black Mamba’s scoring exploits are well known. He has the second most points scored in a single game (81), 7th most points in a single season (3rd most if you ignore Wilt Chamberlain), and the most points in Lakers history.
Surprisingly, despite two major injuries in the last two seasons, Bryant has come back this year and looks as good as ever, putting up 25.4 points a contest. Though shooting a career-low 38.7% from the field (and by a wide margin), Bryant has been asked to do more for a depleted Lakers roster this year, currently on pace for his 2nd highest usage rate in his career.
Let us know which Kobe Bryant basket is most memorable to you, or leave your congratulations below!