Recently, Kobe Bryant became the 5th player in NBA history to gain 30,000 career points. This puts him in an elite group with Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Karl Malone (all NBA Hall of Famers).
While Kobe is the youngest to ever hit this milestone, it also took him the most games to achieve it of the five. Since Kobe entered the league straight out of high school in 1996 (becoming the first guard to ever be drafted out of high school), he is a very old 34. I'm positive Kobe would like to pass Kareem as the highest scorer of all time. The question isn't if he can score enough, but if he can play long enough.
When Bryant entered the league, he said that he would retire at age 35. That would be just over eight months away. Obviously, he has had time to rethink that, but when he was recently asked when he would finally give up the game he loves he said, "It's not about health necessarily." Bryant also said, "It's about 'Do I want to do it? Do I have that hunger to continue to prepare at a high level?' "
I will say one thing, if the Lakers continue to lose games, especially when PG Steve Nash returns, Bryant won't want to keep playing. It's all about winning for Kobe and I think he is playing now solely for that 6th Championship, to tie his idol Michael Jordan.
As for reaching the milestone, we didn't get to see much of a reaction from Bryant when it happened. He hit a shot to get his 30,000 and 30,001 career points and had to go back on defense immediately in the flow of the game.
''It's pretty awesome,'' Bryant said regarding being in the 30,000 club with only four other players. ''These are players I respect tremendously and obviously grew up idolizing and watching and learned a great deal from.''
''That just means he is old,"
Lakers coach Mike
D'Antoni joked before tip-off of the game that Kobe reached 30,000.
I could only see Kobe playing for another two years after this year. I also don't think Kobe is the kind of player that will continue to play if he isn't playing at a high level. Bryant is aging, but he is still averaging an amazing 29.5 points per game for the Lakers. That is the highest points per game average in the league right now.
Adding the 30k milestone to his stellar resume adds another element to the GOAT conversation. There is no real way to make a list in order of the "Greatest Players of All Time" but Kobe deserves to be mentioned as a Top 5 player of all time in my opinion. A more accurate way to judge players from different generations is by position. I think Kobe as a guard would be the 2nd best of all time, behind of course, Michael Jordan.
Now, with the statistic of Bryant being the youngest to ever reach 30,000, there is a flaw. Jordan took off time in the middle
of his prime
to play
baseball. If
he wouldn't
have taken
2 years off,
he would still
be the
youngest to
reach
30,000.
By: Ryan Welte
Kobe Reaches 30,000