LA Lakers Kobe Bryant Surpasses Jordan on All Time Scoring List
In Sunday night's 100-94 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers star, Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan on the all time scoring list.
"I congratulate Kobe on reaching this milestone," Jordan said in a statement released to The Associated Press. "He's obviously a great player, with a strong work ethic and has an equally strong passion for the game of basketball. I've enjoyed watching his game evolve over the years, and I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next."
Prior to the start of the game, Bryant needed only nine points to move into third place on the list. Once he achieved that feat, the Timberwolves stopped the game while the Laker-heavy crowd gave Bryant a standing ovation. Wolves owner and NBA's chairman of the board, Glen Taylor then presented Bryant with the game ball.
Several players took to twitter to congratulate Bryant.
When asked how he felt about reaching this milestone in front of so many young players, Bryant started reminiscing. He stated, according to ESPN.com:
"Yeah, it was a strange feeling. Because I remember being Andrew Wiggins. I remember playing against Michael my first year. To be here tonight and play against him, seeing the baby face and the little footwork or little technique things that he's going to be much sharper at as time goes on -- it was like looking at a reflection of myself 19 years ago. It was pretty cool."
He added, "I'm just honored to be here, man, to still be playing. I appreciate being able to play this long. Careers normally don't last this long. I really appreciate the opportunity to still be out there playing and performing and doing what I do."
Bryant has been chasing Jordan for nearly two decades. It took him 1,269 games to reach 32,284 points. Jordan reached the podium with 32,292 points in 1,039 regular-season games.
The only two other players who have scored more than Bryant are Kareem Abdul-Jabber, who is ahead of Bryant by more than 3,000 points, and Karl Malone.
