Kobe Bryant First NBA Player To Register 30,000 Points, 6,000 Assists

Kobe Bryant capped the 20^th triple-double of his career by becoming the first player in NBA history to bag at least 30,000 career points and 6,000 assists.

The 36-year-old Bryant finished with 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, as the struggling Los Angeles Lakers topped the Toronto Raptors 129-122 in overtime Sunday night. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Lakers and improved their overall record to 4-13.

Afterwards, even Bryant, currently the league’s top scorer at an average of 26.6 per game, marveled at his accomplishments.

“It’s a huge honor,” he said. “It means I pass more than people say. One is more in your control than the other. I prefer things to be under my control. But yeah, the assists milestone is actually more enjoyable because it means guys are playing with confidence and they’re more involved. They emotionally feel better. They get more excited, more into the game. It makes playing more enjoyable.”

With 32,154 Bryant career points, Bryant, in his 19^th season, now trials Michael Jordan by just 128 points for third-place on the league’s all-time scoring list. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rates as the league’s all-time scoring leader at 38, 387 points and Karl Malone is second with 36, 928. Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and Shaquille O’Neal (28, 596) round out the all-time Top 6.

Bryant’s history of torching the Raptors also runs deep. Back in 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points Toronto. “He’s just an amazing basketball player,” said coach Byron Scott. “That’s the bottom line. He’s had an unbelievable career. He’s still going pretty strong. There’s a lot left in that tank, it’s obvious. His accomplishments are just fantastic. To watch him continue to compete the way that he does at this level is remarkable.”

Already this season, Bryant has scored at least 25 points in 11 different games. His season-high of 44 came against Golden State on Nov. 16, during which Bryant also added five rebounds and three assists.

[Photo Credit: Keith Allison]

Kobe Bryant First NBA Player To Register 30,000 Points, 6,000 Assists