Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant surpassed his idol, Michael Jordan, to become the third-highest scorer in NBA history. After Bryant's career milestone on Sunday, several NBA players - including LeBron James - congratulated the future Hall of Famer on Twitter.
Bryant tied and then surpassed passed Jordan's 32,292 career-points Sunday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves on a pair of free throws. The 36-year-old had entered the game only eight points shy of Jordan's mark, and after he surpassed it, the Timberwolves showed class by calling a time out and allowing Bryant to soak in the moment.
Jordan, whom Bryant has admitted he idolizes, issued a statement to congratulate Bryant.
"I congratulate Kobe on reaching this milestone," Jordan told the Associated Press in a statement, via ESPN. "He's obviously a great player, with a strong work ethic and has an equally strong passion for the game of basketball. I've enjoyed watching his game evolve over the years, and I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next."
As he approached Jordan's mark, Bryant mostly shrugged off the potential accomplishment.
"It's really not a big deal to say I passed him for something like that," he said. "It's a great accomplishment, but the true beauty is in the journey."
The Minnesota fans gave Bryant a standing ovation after he surpassed Jordan, and Bryant took a few moments to exchange hugs and handshakes with players on the floor. Bryant, who has one year left on his current contract, now has two players ahead of him on the NBA's all-time scoring list: Karl Malone (36,928) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), according to ESPN.
After the milestone, several players took to Twitter:
Congrats to @kobebryant on passing his idol Michael Jordan for 3rd on the NBA All-Time scoring list!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) December 15, 2014
Congrats Bean! @kobebryant #ThirdAllTime #LivingLegend — LeBron James (@KingJames) December 15, 2014
Los Angeles went on to snatch their eighth win of the season, 100-94.
