Mar 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) guards Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) on the court in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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On This Day: Kobe Bryant passes Wilt Chamberlain as youngest player to complete 25,000 points

Bryant reached the milestone during a game against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010.

The month of January brings a mix of joy and sorrow for Kobe Bryant fans. It’s a month filled with memories of his greatness on the court, but also one that reminds us of the tragic loss on January 26, 2020, when Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash.

But on January 21, 2010, Kobe gave his fans another reason to celebrate. On that day, at just 31 years and 151 days old, Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points, surpassing the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.

He reached this incredible milestone during a game against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While LeBron would eventually go on to break the all-time scoring record as a Laker in 2023, on that night, it was Kobe who stood at the top of the scoring mountain for his generation.

“That’s what I do best,” Kobe said after the game. “Steve Nash is a great passer, I’m a great scorer. It’s what I do.”

Also Read:

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“But he was never the best player to me” – Lonzo Ball leaves Kobe Bryant off his Mount Rushmore

Bryant’s scoring would continue to climb from there. By the time he retired in 2016, he finished his career with 33,643 points, placing him fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, a legacy that still stands today.

Kobe Bryant

LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers

Wilt Chamberlain

Swati Bhatia

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I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.