Top Of The Key - Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant Passes Shaquille O Neal For Fifth Place On Scoring List - Espn Los Angeles

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By Dave McMenamin ESPNLosAngeles.com Stephen A. On The Lakers

PHILADELPHIA When Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers overcom your Boston Celtics inside the year of 2010 NBA Finals to be able to protect Bryant's sixth championship, he or she once presented the accomplishment by saying, "I acquired yet another than Shaq," talking about Shaquille O'Neal's four rings.

Bryant was able to help one-up O'Neal for a second time Monday when this individual passed his or her ex - teammate pertaining to fifth place to the NBA's all-time scoring record from the subsequent quarter with the Lakers' activity contrary to the Philadelphia 76ers .

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Bryant strike some bounce taken from your best on the major along with 5:07 leftover inside the primary half in order to push the pup recent O'Neal. Bryant's bucket was originally ruled a 3-pointer in advance of staying changed to some a couple of following a shot had been reviewed.

Bryant finished that night using 28 tips as being the Lakers displaced 95-90.

"I want to personally congratulate Kobe about appearing your ideal Laker ever," O'Neal told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith soon after Bryant passed his mark. "His success is usually great and also good deserved, as well as I'm really satisfied with him. He laughed and said when your dog was 18 a long time older that he would are reduced as the best Laker ever, and something in the greatest gamers of their time. And he had not been lying.

"I'm a little envious connected with him mainly because I seemed to be under no circumstances capable to get away the particular harm annoy in this career, though he's in no way genuinely been recently harmed at all. But each one of which is your testament for you to his / her effort in addition to dedication. I'm proud of him. I'm satisfied for him. And, the majority of all, I need to thank him internet marketing a new part of the best 1-2 hand techinque at any time created, never that they are duplicated."

O'Neal retired this kind of previous offseason after scoring 28,596 points in the 19-year career by using Orlando, Miami, Phoenix, Cleveland, Boston as well as the Lakers. Bryant, a 16-year veteran, now trails simply Wilt Chamberlain (31,419 points), Michael Jordan (32,292 points), Karl Malone (36,928 points) plus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points).

Bryant plus O'Neal won about three titles together in addition to arrived at the Finals a number of instances in the seven months they put in seeing that Lakers teammates (1996-2004).

Bryant, 33, came into Monday leading your league throughout scoring using a 29.4 points each activity common as well as by now offers a couple scoring games under his / her belt. His 25.4 factors per game career average additionally eclipses O'Neal's occupation mark involving 23.7 points for every game.

Next in place with regard to Bryant is actually Chamberlain, a new fellow Philadelphia native.

Bryant and also Chamberlain have been completely related through their penchant with regard to details in the past, as Bryant broke Chamberlain's Pennsylvania graduation scoring track record by polishing off with 2,883 points to Chamberlain's 2,252. Bryant's 81-point online game on Jan. 22, 2006 furthermore happens to be this second-highest solo scoring adventure throughout little league history, trailing simply Chamberlain's 100 scored on March 2, 1962.

"It's loads of points. It's a lot of points," Bryant said, looking returning about Chamberlain's feat since your 50th house warming connected with The Big Dipper's hereditary activity procedures upcoming month. "I imagine ?t had been one amongst those nights for both people where there was actually zero explanation intended for it. You simply just type regarding enter into a type of zones and one of the moments in addition to stuff happen. . I has been executing mine on jump shots, though. I didn't must bang with too many guys down low. I had been just simply getting and shooting."

While it took greater than forty many years to get an additional player to score eighty tips or more soon after Chamberlain have scored 100, Bryant said his as well as Chamberlain's scoring totals are usually achievable.

"I believe so," Bryant claimed when inquired if any player would certainly actually work with him plus Chamberlain that has a corresponding single-game scoring outburst. "One daytime it is going to happen."

Lakers coach Mike Brown believes Bryant could terrain at the prime because of the period they telephone calls it a career.

"It could be troublesome pertaining to him for you to excrete Kareem, but this individual should obtain close," Brown mentioned after the Lakers' shootaround Monday. "He have to capture Malone."

Dave McMenamin truck covers that Lakers with regard to ESPNLosAngeles.com.