KING

LeBron James Tops Kobe Bryant on All-Time Scoring List

The Los Angeles Lakers forward wrote a little nod to Bryant on his shoes before clinching the points needed to beat him Saturday.

LeBron James made history with a layup in the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night—he won third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The Lakers forward displaced Kobe Bryant to claim the title, who himself had toppled Michael Jordan to claim it in 2014. James has steadily been climbing the ranks for years, having topped Shaquille O’Neal in 2017 before beating Wilt Chamberlain a year later, and then none other than Michael Jordan in 2019. Ahead of the game on Saturday, knowing that he needed 18 points to dethrone Bryant as the third highest scorer, James wrote Bryant’s initials, jersey numbers, and “Mamba 4 life”—a nod to Kobe’s nickname—on his shoes.