It finally happened.
Injuries delayed the occasion, but on Sunday night, Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan for No. 3 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He clinched the honor with a pair of free throws midway through the second quarter and went on to tally 26 points in total, giving him 32,310 for his career, 4,618 behind second-place Karl Malone and 6,077 behind first-place Kareem-Abdul Jabbar.
This was one of those achievements that couldn’t be wholly tainted or rebuked. Not by advanced statistics, not by the 197 fewer games it took Jordan to reach his mark. Instead, everyone was left bestowing plaudits upon Bryant’s scoring acumen and longevity. Even Jordan himself.
From The Associated Press’ Steve Reed:
Michael Jordan statement to the AP on Kobe Bryant passing him on scoring list: “I congratulate Kobe on reaching this milestone. ..
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) December 15, 2014
"…He's obviously a great player, with a strong work ethic and has an equally strong passion for the game of basketball…."
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) December 15, 2014
"…I've enjoyed watching his game evolve over the years, and I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next.”
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) December 15, 2014
Translation: You may have more points than me, but count the ringzzzzzz.
Okay fine, it’s more of a diplomatic complement from one of Kobe’s role models who, in all likelihood, probably reached out to him on his own and said something more meaningful. Still, it was nice of Jordan to publicly say something other than, “Screw you, ya rat bastard!”
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson also took part in the fun, speaking things that should have went unspoken, per Lakers.com’s Mike Trudell:
Amidst the Magic quotes: "Just like we’ve never seen a player like Michael Jordan, we will never see another player like Kobe Bryant."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 15, 2014
In Magic Johnson's mind, Kobe is "One of the top five players the game has ever seen."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 15, 2014
Um, yeah. Top five of all time? Not so freaking much. Advanced analytics will start harming Kobe if we go down that rabbit hole. I’m not even sure he’s been one of the league’s five best players since Magic first retired. You have LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and, well, you get the point. Maybe he’s on that top-five list, but not the all-time docket.
But that’s not what Kobe’s latest accolade is about. The Jordan and all-time debates will wage on forever. On this night, though, it was about celebrating Kobe’s longevity more than anything. Nineteen years is a long time. He’ll hit 20 seasons during 2015-16, a milestone only four others have reached throughout NBA history. Some accomplishments need to be taken as incorruptible harbingers of skill and presence. This was one of those.
Here, then, is what Kobe himself had to say on the matter, per Trudell:
Kobe describing how he's been able to put so much into his game: "I love my job. I feel like I haven't worked a day in my life."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 15, 2014
I asked Kobe to summarize the art of scoring, how he's been able to score the most points of any guard: "Fundamentals."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 15, 2014
He also started talking about spry poultry to ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne:
Kobe is some 4000 points away from Malone and 6000 points from KAJ. I asked him after the game if he'd play long enough to catch either one
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 15, 2014
Kobe laughed & said, "Oh my god. Do you have any idea how much my body hurts day to day? I’m no spring chicken. It’s good to be out here."
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 15, 2014
After his humanizing poultry comparison, Bryant touched upon Jordan and their relationship as well:
Kobe: "When you peel back truly what’s inside a person to compete at a high level, it scares people that are comfortable just being average"
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 15, 2014
Kobe said of MJ: "He’s been such a huge part of my success and my career – offering mentorship. That relationship has meant everything."
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 15, 2014
Kobe: "I think if you look at Michael’s retirement speech, people really got a chance to see how he ticks. It scared a lot of people, right?
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 15, 2014
Kobe: "But that's reality. You can’t get to a supreme level without kind of channeling the dark side a little."
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 15, 2014
Finally, he reiterated a message he’s delivered many times this season:
Kobe told me tonight, "I ain’t going nowhere. We’re a family. I don’t look at it as the Buss family and myself, I look at it as one family"
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 15, 2014
And, finally for real, some jackass decided to get all snarky:
https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/544297432398704640
Here’s to Kobe, gang—along with what the Lakers’ propensity for housing all-time scorers at some stage or another means for their chances of signing Kevin Durant in 2016.
Obviously.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
