Pivot Points: Kobe Bryant, L.A.'s Greatest Laker? Not Yet, But He's Close

Last night Kobe Bryant scored 44 points in a 95-93 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and in doing so he vaulted past Los Angeles Laker legend Jerry West into first place on the Lakers' all-time scoring list.

This is important when pondering Bryant's place in Laker lore because West is probably considered one of the top three Lakers of all time, and if this is true then Bryant not only eclipsed West on the scoring list, but on the all-time Laker list as well.

There is a large contingent who will simply refuse to believe this, but when comparing the career numbers of both players Bryant has a slight edge in the category which may matter the most.

They both managed to score 25,000 points in their 14th seasons with the Lakers, but Bryant has three more titles than West, in addition to winning an MVP award, something West was never able to accomplish.

Plus, Bryant has at least four more good seasons in him, a period of time which is more than sufficient to create even more distance between him and West on the scoring list before he retires.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not only one of the greatest Lakers of all time, but arguably the greatest center the game has ever seen, and is more than worthy to be designated in one of the top three positions.

Kareem is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, but a great portion of those points were accumulated outside of Los Angeles, and Kobe also maintains a slight edge in the number of championships won as a Laker.

In my opinion the greatest player to ever don the purple and gold was point guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson, a player who changed the way the position was perceived, and could be considered a top five player in the NBA's history.

Magic may be the most complete player the game has ever seen, he was able to competently play all five positions on the court, and he was instrumental in helping to save the game during its bleakest hours.

His duel with Larry Bird's Boston Celtics renewed interest in a game which had failed to connect with its fans, and was considered an inferior product compared to other professional sports.

That fact alone separates Johnson from other players on any list because his charm, charisma, personality, and game were partly responsible for saving the very sport itself.

Magic also reigns supreme in the championship department, trumping Kobe's ring total by one, and truthfully, even if Bryant were able to surpass Magic in the title category he would probably still not be recognized as Laker numero uno.

You can attribute that to the "old guard mentality", or a line of thought which says regardless of what Bryant does and who he passes, he will never be considered the greatest.

People who hold these perceptions are unwilling to be strained by the burdens of passing time, but eventually history will force even the most stubborn to bear witness to truth.

Right now Kobe sits at the table with Laker royalty, and he has very likely ascended into the second chair, opposite of the greatest Los Angeles Laker in history, and has the throne within his reach.

Kobe has not bested Magic Johnson yet, but it would be foolish to think with a few more years and a couple of more championships that his name could not be respectfully debated in those terms.

Bryant already has four championships to go along with numerous other accolades, and he is now the all-time scoring leader in the franchise's history as well.

So it's not a stretch to see his future ascension to the pinnacle of Laker history as no more than a matter of natural progression.