LeBron James Passes Kobe Bryant for 3rd-Most 20-Point Games in NBA History

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James recorded his 942nd 20-point game Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors, passing Kobe Bryant for third on the all-time list.

James reached the 20-point mark in the fourth quarter of the matchup between Eastern Conference favorites. He is now only behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,122) and Karl Malone (1,134) on the all-time list.

James has played 207 fewer games in his career than Bryant, who retired following the 2015-16 season. He finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, leading the Cavs to a 112-106 victory over the top-seeded Raptors.

Cleveland has won each of its last two games against Toronto and nine of its last 10 games overall, including four straight.

James should pass Malone on the all-time list if he plays a few more seasons. At his current pace, he would surpass Malone late in the 2020-21 season or early in the 2021-22 campaign. Given the relative likelihood of some regression with age—though we're yet to see it—LeBron will probably have to play four more seasons to reach the pinnacle.

Odds are he's much more concerned with matching or passing Bryant (five) and Jabbar (six) on the championships list.