Kobe Bryant recently passed Michael Jordan on the NBA career scoring leaders on December 15 to earn the No. 3 spot. Jordan previously held the top 3 spot with 32,292 points. Now, the Chicago Bulls legend has a new challenge for the 38-year-old Bryant.
Jordan said before when Kobe broke his record, "I congratulate Kobe on reaching this milestone. 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."
Pro Basketball Talk wrote that the two superstars had a private conversation on the phone with Jordan congratulating him and setting the bar higher again. "If you had one guess of what he said, it was, 'Go get Karl. The competitor never stops'," Bryant said on Christmas Day.
Sports Illustrated shared Jordan's public statement congratulating Bryant on his recent accomplishment.
Karl Malone currently ranks No. 2 in the all-time scoring list with 36,928 career points. Kobe Bryant has 32,365 points at present, based on a report by CBS Sports, which means that if he continues to score 25 points per game, he will eventually pass Malone on his 183rd game. Bryant averages 25.4 points per game in his 19th season and there have been talks that Lakers coach Byron Scott intended to reduce his total playing time to avoid injury and keep him fresh until his contract expires at the end of the 2015-2016 NBA season.
Kobe acknowledges the fact that he would not have been the great player he is without having played in the same era as several other NBA superstars who prepared him for the role.
Bryant said in an ESPN article, "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."
He recently said in a report by Fox Sports, "It was more of a thankful feeling to Michael and the players who came before because I've learned so much from them. And I don't say that lightly. I've literally just stole [expletive] from them, like spin moves and pull-ups. It's not me passing these players. It's us. I've literally taken things from their games and made them my own."
Although Kobe still has the chance to pass Malone, his age might keep him from getting the all-time No. 1 spot currently held by former Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387 points.