The Los Angeles Lakers enjoyed another victory at the Jan. 7 home game against the New Orleans Hornets. During the game, Kobe Bryant passed Oscar Robertson’s record and now ranks ninth overall on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Bryant’s climb to No. 9 set the pace for the Lakers to achieve their third straight win. defeating the Hornets 101-97.
While growing up, Bryant collected old tapes of Oscar Robertson. He studied the Big O’s game and later would adopt his style for his own.
“It’s a great honor,” Bryant said. “Obviously, I patterned so much of my game from [Oscar], you know, those big guards, so it means a lot. I really don’t give it too much thought. Maybe at the end of my career it will be something I look back on.”
Bryant now has his sights set on Hakeem Olajuwon, ranked eighth on the scoring list.
“I don’t want to beat him, but I want to catch him. That’s the only one I care about [now],” he said.
Bryant had 25 points during the game as he received his 26,712th career point on a floating jumper with just over a minute left in the third quarter.
The Lakers did face several setbacks during the game. Backup forward Matt Barnes sprained his knee in the first half. Backup point guard Steve Blake apparently injured his ankle in the fourth quarter. But, despite a sprained left shoulder, Lamar Odom scored 17 points and 13 rebounds.
The Hornets weren’t far behind. Hornets point guard Chris Paul said of the loss, “We didn’t execute well and we let Kobe get in the lane and make plays”; however, he said his goal remains to win a championship. “I’m gonna keep trying to get better and better every year — every game. [We will] keep working to try and stay ahead.”
Bryant also commented on his team’s strategy to win more games.
“The focus is there. The chemistry’s always been there,” he said. “It’s about getting better now and improving on the things we need to improve on.”
Before the game, Bryant and Derek Fisher presented a championship ring to DJ Mbenga, a backup for the Lakers last season. –tarin d. harris
