3. Kobe Bryant becomes the all-time leading scorer
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest scorers in the history of the NBA. As a result, it should be no surprise that he is the all-time leading scorer on Christmas Day in NBA history.
In 2012, against the New York Knicks, Bryant scored 34 points to surpass Oscar Robertson for the No. 1 spot on the Christmas Day scoring list. This was the last time Bryant really played like his normal self on Christmas, as he missed the next two because of injury. He played his final game in 2015, but the Lakers were blown out.
Bryant ended his career with 395 points on Christmas. Had he not been injured, it would not have been surprising if he pushed that number closer to 450. Bryant averaged 24.7 points per game on Christmas, appearing in 16 contests, the most of any player in NBA history.
Despite Bryant’s scoring prowess, the Lakers went only 6-10 in those 16 games. While Bryant has held onto the scoring record for six years, his hold on the record probably won’t last for long.
LeBron James is currently third on the list with 321 points. Unless he succumbs to injury, James should surpass Bryant’s total before his current contract with the Lakers expires. Kevin Durant is sixth with 249 points and should continue climbing the list. Given his points per game average on Christmas, Durant could surpass Bryant’s total in five games as well.