Dec. 14, 2014
36 years, 113 days
With a single free throw, Kobe Bryant passed his boyhood idol in the NBA’s record books.
Bryant knocked down a foul shot late in the first half of L.A.’s 100-94 win in Minnesota to pass Michael Jordan (32,292) for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The Timberwolves stopped the action to present him with the game ball, much to the approval of the opposing crowd.
“You get there and the crowd’s really waiting to see you score nine points, so don’t (mess) this up and completely kill the moment,” Bryant told reporters after the game.
Instead, Bryant made the moment and many more that night. With the game tied at 94 and just 62 seconds remaining, he drained a 26-foot 3-pointer to put the Lakers up for good.
Bryant finished the game with 26 points and received praise from legends like Jordan and Magic Johnson.
“That’s the most important thing to me, is playing for the respect of the greats and feeling like I’m a part of that culture and a part of that brotherhood,” Bryant said.
The future Hall of Famer shot 7-of-20 from the field and 10-of-13 at the line, while Carlos Boozer provided 22 points (10-of-14) and 13 rebounds off the bench to help L.A. to its third straight win.
Kobe performances on this day in history: