As Kobe Bryant stepped to the free-throw line for a shot, the atmosphere of the arena lifted. He was just a point away from passing the player whom he grew up watching. 

On December 14, 2014, Kobe Bryant surpassed Michael Jordan for 3rd place on the NBA's all-time regular-season scoring list. Before the game, he needed only 8 points to tie Jordan’s total of 32,292 career points. The moment arrived with 5:24 remaining in the 2nd quarter, and the Lakers also ended up winning the game against the Timberwolves 100-94.

However, after Bryant surpassed Jordan, the game stopped for several minutes to show a tribute video while the late NBA legend held the game ball. "It was different," Bryant said postgame. "I'm so used to being the villain all the time wherever I go. It took a minute to kind of adjust. It felt good to be appreciated."

Bryant finished the night with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. He reached this mark in his 1,269th career game while being in his 19th season. Still, he failed to beat Jordan in one aspect, as the 'Jumpman' reached his 32,292 points across 1,072 games with a career average of 30.1 points per game. 

Before the game, Bryant called his career a "hell of a marathon." After the game, he noted that the mentorship he received from MJ had helped him a lot throughout his journey. This record talks more about a deep, personal connection between two basketball legends that started long before. 

Michael Jordan's Influence on Kobe Bryant's NBA Prowess

A day after surpassing Jordan's record, Bryant wrote a personal essay for The Players' Tribune titled 'Zero.' In it, he mentioned a summer league game when he was 12 years old, and he failed to score a single point. In such a situation, Bryant used Jordan's story of being cut from his high school team to fuel himself to do much better later.

The late Lakers star often stated that he wouldn't have won 5 championship rings without Jordan's guidance and advice.

As of April 2026, the all-time scoring list looks much different. LeBron James sits at the top with 43,440 points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone follow in 2nd and 3rd. Bryant now sits in 4th place. Recently, Kevin Durant passed Jordan to take the 5th spot. 

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy