LeBron James Passes Kobe Bryant For Third on All-Time Scoring List

LeBron James passed another Lakers legend on Saturday night, moving into third on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

LeBron James has scored the third-most points in NBA history.

The Los Angeles Lakers star entered Saturday night's matchup against the 76ers needing just 18 points to pass fellow Lakers legend Kobe Bryant (33,643). A layup in the third quarter put James over the top.

LeBron James gets to the bucket to move up to 3rd on the all-time scoring list! pic.twitter.com/almofNRKrg

— NBA (@NBA) January 26, 2020

James (33,655) now trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabaar (36,928) and Karl Malone (38,387) on the all-time points list. He passed Michael Jordan last March for fourth all-time.

The new star in Purple and Gold is averaging 25.3 points, a career-high 10.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game this season. Following the Lakers' loss to the 76ers on Saturday, James commented on his achievement.

"I'm happy just to be in any conversation with Kobe Bryant," James said. "One of the all-time greatest basketball players to ever play, one of the all-time greatest Lakers. The man got two jerseys hanging up in Staples Center. It's just crazy."

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* LeBron on Passing Kobe: 'It's Just Too Much'
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James's 10 triple-doubles trail only Magic Johnson's 13 in Lakers single-season franchise history. 

LeBron passes Kobe Bryant for 3rd on the NBA’s all-time scoring list 💪 pic.twitter.com/5Q4aI346e8

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 26, 2020

Bryant has seemingly no animosity as it relates to James passing him on the list. 

"I don't know if people want that or want to have this kind of contentious thing where you don't want records to be broken or people there to surpass you," Bryant told USA Today Sports' Mark Medina in a story published earlier this week. "You should be happy for the person that comes after you to be able to surpass things that you've done. It's kind of juvenile to think or to behave any other way."

After James accomplished the feat on Saturday, Bryant sent his congratulations on Twitter.

Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother 💪🏾 #33644

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 26, 2020

In 2014, when Bryant passed Jordan for third all-time, MJ echoed Bryant's above sentiments, sending No. 24 a text congratulating him.

"That was the most important thing," Bryant told The Athletic. "That was cool. Because it's such a brotherhood, such an amount of respect between us as players, and you know the amount of work and consistency you have to put in overtime so it's nothing but love and respect."

Similar to his tweet, Bryant said he would do the same for James. 

James' Lakers hold the best record in the Western Conference at 36-10.