It was December 14, 2014, ten years ago to the day. On the Wolves floor, Kobe Bryant surpassed Michael Jordan to become the third highest scorer in NBA history with two free throws. Like his first points in the league in 1996 at Madison Square Garden. That night, Kobe Bryant needed nine points to overtake his lifelong idol.
“The public was waiting for me to score these 9 points, and I told myself that I shouldn’t screw up this moment” Kobe Bryant will explain after the meeting. “The most important thing for me is to gain the respect of the greatest and to feel that I am part of this culture and this brotherhood. Tonight the atmosphere was different. I’m so used to being the bad guy when we play away that it took me a little while to get used to it. It was a great feeling to feel appreciated like that.”
At the time, the Lakers guard received a fitting ovation, and the Wolves’ rookie Andrew Wiggins took a timeout so that his teammates, his staff and his opponents could pay tribute to him.
The Lakers legend also returned home with the match ball as a souvenir, presented by Glen Taylor, the owner of the Minneapolis franchise.
Congratulations from Michael Jordan
“It’s a huge honor. The journey was very long… but it went by very quickly that said! » reacted the late Kobe. “It’s wonderful to have gotten to this point. I always try to learn and especially from Michael Jordan. He was such an influence on my game. I owe a lot of my success to him because he gave me a lot of advice. My relationship with him is worth all the gold in the world. »
After this third victory in a row for the Lakers, the tributes were unanimous, starting with that of Michael Jordan “himself”. “I congratulate Kobe on reaching this mark. Obviously, he’s a great player with a great work ethic and an equal passion for basketball. I’ve enjoyed watching his game evolve over the years and I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes in the future.” he had written.
For his part, Magic Johnson congratulated him “ for having overtaken his idol Michael Jordan for 3rd place among the best scorers in History ». « Lakers fans, we are blessed to watch Kobe, one of the five or six greatest players in history, play in a Lakers jersey. Just as we have never seen another player like Michael Jordan again, we will never see another player like Kobe Bryant again. »