It was 1996 that the New Orleans Hornets (previously known as the Charlotte Hornets) drafted a standout high school star in Kobe Bryant out of Lower Merion High School. During the draft, Kobe was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac to make room to sign Shaquille O'Neal via free agency. Throughout his 17 year career in the NBA we've seen Kobe Bryant develop from a high school kid who played basketball for the fun of it to becoming the most competitive, hardworking individual, and above all a legend. Last night, he made history yet again, becoming the youngest player to reach 30,000 points in the NBA. Kobe Bryant was the Lakers' top performer scoring 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in a historical night as the Lakers beat the Hornets 103-87.
Final Score: @ New Orleans 103-87 [W]
Next Game: @ Oklahoma City (12/07/12)
Personal Reflection on Kobe's 30,000 milestone: Wow, just 1,000 more to surpass Wilt, 2,000 more to surpass Jordan, 6,000 more to surpass Malone, and 8,000 more to surpass Kareem. Being a Laker fan since the first three-peat, I'm just blessed to witness how far Kobe Bryant has come. I've never seen Michael Jordan in his prime play, the only vivid memories I've seen of MJ are his flu game, his final shot, and his short tenure with the Wizards. However, to witness Kobe growing up, from his afro days, to the dark days during his sexual assault case, and the transfiguration from 8 to 24, he's just something to behold. 5x champ, 2x Finals MVP, 2008 NBA MVP, 2x scoring champ, 14x all-star, all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, and one of the top five in the all-time scoring list. Just speechless, no matter how Kobe Bryant is ranked at the end of his career whether he's top 5, top 10, top 15, or top 100, he's hands down a first ballot HOF. Congrats Kobe, no matter what happens at the end of your career, you're hands down a legend and in my opinion one of the greatest to ever play the game.
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