Heading into Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kobe Bryant is nine points away from surpassing Michael Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. While most were hoping Kobe would pass Jordan against the Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day, the five-time champion is averaging 25.5 points per game this season, second best in the NBA.
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Earlier this week, LeBron James was asked about Kobe passing Jordan on the scoring list and called him one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
LeBron on Kobe nearing MJ: "It's not surprising. He's one of, if not the greatest scorer our game has ever seen"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 13, 2014
In addition, LeBron said Kobe was one of the players he looked up to and had posters of him on his wall via McMenamin:
More LeBron on Kobe: "He's one of the guys that I looked up to … Going straight from high school to the NBA he was on my wall"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 13, 2014
When Kobe entered the NBA in 1996, he became the first perimeter player to enter straight out of high school which was an inspiration for players like LeBron and Tracy McGrady. While the media wanted Kobe and LeBron to form a rivalry, the two future Hall of Famers unfortunately have never met in the NBA Finals.
Since the start of the season, all the talk has been about Kobe passing Jordan on the scoring list. With Kobe just nine points away, it will be another major accomplishment for one of the greatest players in NBA history.
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