Kobe Bryant Eclipses Shaq Diesel on All-Time Scoring List and NBA Legacy
Kobe Bryant is now fifth on the NBA all-time leading scorer list after passing Shaquille O'Neal with his 28,597th point of his career. The long two-pointer was worth far more as Bryant continues to eclipse his rival.
Bryant launched a jump shot that looked as sweet as the hundreds before it. When it chimed home, he turned and gave the exclamation point in the form of a jubilant fist pump.
It was quite evident that Bryant would come out gunning for his former teammate, going 8-for-12 from the floor—a pace that culminated in him reaching 24 points before the half—and getting the nasty business of usurping the original Superman out of the way.
UPDATE: Monday, February 6, 9:27 p.m. ET
Shaquille O'Neal has proved to be the big man, if not the bigger man, and has tweeted a heartfelt congratulations to Bryant.
What It Means
It is clear from Bryant's reaction and the embrace that Derek Fisher lent after the shot that this meant a great deal to Bryant.
This is a player who plays from emotion and sheer will. He provokes himself with stimuli that may or may not actually exist. He hates the Suns for their past transgressions, and plays above and beyond when he faces any number of self-certified "Kobe stoppers."
None of that compares to the rivalry that started as a warm partnership, one that we were fooled into thinking could have blossomed into a friendship.
O'Neal and Bryant are polar opposites and will now grow even further apart in terms of accolades.
Bryant is the consummate warrior, beating himself up just as much as the opposition. He lives and dies for the game, which makes him far less likable then the class clown we forever compare him to.
Shaq is Superman, a comic book hero who could make you laugh at the same time he was giving his team the win. He was a showman, an entertainer.
For his efforts, he received a comfortable job in retirement with TNT and the perfect station as a color commentator for the game he loves.
He will never be Bryant, though.
For Bryant, it has never been about the peripherals or extracurriculars. There are no movie deals or rap concerts. He is all about working in the gym and laying it all out on the floor.
If Shaq had the same gumption, his record would have been far more difficult to surpass. He would still be on top of the mountain of legends, instead of being passed by a player still not done with his tenure.
O'Neal routinely came into training camp overweight; Bryant plays hurt. The Black Mamba finally overtook Shaquille O'Neal on the list of scoring leaders, and it was only a matter of time before he did.
What's Next?
Here is the list of what lies ahead for The Black Mamba. You can figure that he has at least a couple more seasons in which he nears 2,000 points a year, a mark he has met and surpassed seven times in his career.
| 1. Kareem Abdul-Jabaar | 38,387 |
| 2. Karl Malone | 36,928 |
| 3. Michael Jordan | 32,292 |
| 4. Wilt Chamberlain | 31,419 |
| 5. Kobe Bryant | 28,597* |
*Will Change on Final Point Total from Monday's Game
With a figure like that, we may very well see him nearing the immortal Michael Jordan in a couple years. That will no doubt be a special moment for Bryant and Lakers fans.
This moment, however, was personal. Shaq was always one step ahead of Bryant. After Bryant surpassed Shaq in titles, the scoring still remained.
Now we can look for Bryant to create some new record or animosity to correct, because that is what he does.
Some players laugh and savor; Bryant simply fumes. The hatred is what motivates him, and we should all be fine with that, because it is exactly that mentality that has made him one of the top five scorers in the history of the game.
