The late Kobe Bryant treated himself to an early 2007 Christmas gift by reaching an incredible milestone: on December 23rd, during a game against the Knicks, the L.A. Lakers superstar scored his 20,000th career point.
This achievement was significant not just in sports but also on an emotional level for the 'Black Mamba.' He reached this record at his favorite venue, Madison Square Garden.
"It is special to do it here. The culture of basketball here, it is the Mecca. It is special to play in Madison Square Garden. This is my favorite place to play," remarked Bryant, per Reuters.
The youngest to reach 20,000 points
29 years and 122 days old. That was Kobe's exact age when he joined the elite group of the top scorers in NBA history. Before him, only 30 players had reached the 20,000-point milestone, and the legendary 6'6" guard-forward achieved this feat as the youngest at the time.
In fact, only two players had reached this impressive milestone before turning 30. One was Michael Jordan, often regarded as the GOAT, who achieved this feat at the age of 29 years and 326 days. The other was the iconic Wilt Chamberlain, who accomplished this remarkable achievement even earlier at 29 years and 134 days.
Interestingly, both 'The Big Dipper' and the 'Black Mamba' share another impressive record: the highest points scored in a single game. Bryant ranks second with 81 points, while Chamberlain still holds the top spot with an incredible 100 points.
Related: Michael Jordan on why guys shouldn't be able to jump from high school to NBA: "Something is affected by leaving college early"
From first points at MSG to scoring legend
It's safe to say that Bryant, who was picked 13th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, had come a long way to achieve this historic milestone.
It's almost poetic that the late Philly native set this record at the same arena where he scored his very first points in the league. Back in early November 1996, a rookie Kobe made his NBA scoring debut by sinking free throws at the Garden.
MSG and the 'Black Mamba' share several memorable moments, including one in early February 2009. During that game, the scoring machine dropped an impressive 61 points, thrilling the crowd and setting a then-record for points at the iconic venue in NYC. This record was later surpassed by Carmelo Anthony, who scored 62 points.
In the highlighted game on December 23, 2007, Kobe once again lit up the 'Knickerbockers' during an away game. True to style, he took 28 shots, the most of any player that night, and converted them into 39 points. This performance brought his career total to 20,019 points over 811 games.
In the years leading up to his retirement in 2016, Bryant increased his total points to 33,643. This impressive feat places the 'Black Mama' fourth on the all-time scoring list in NBA history .
Related: "You were slacking tonight. They shut you down" - When Knicks ballboy trash-talked Kobe Bryant after he scored 40 at MSG
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