This Day in Lakers History: Kobe Bryant passes Michael Jordan to become NBA All-Star Game scoring leader

The NBA All-Star Game has always been an ideal place for fans around the world to witness elite players come together on the same stage to compete. While many have complained about the sport’s competitiveness in recent years, the 2012 NBA All-Star Game on February 27 served as a reminder of the sport’s potential.

There are only three teams in the Western Conference starting lineup, with the Los Angeles Lakers (two), Clippers (two) and Oklahoma City Thunder (one) receiving a large number of fan votes. The obvious choice for the Lakers is Kobe Bryant as the starting shooting guard, but alongside him is the ready-to-go Andrew Bynum, who has earned the starting center spot. Chance.

The West’s starting lineup of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant will be joined by Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and the lead vs. vote-getter Dwight Howard.

All-Star Weekend was held at Howard’s home court, and the Amway Center was packed with people. As Orlando Magic fans cheered on their star center, the night belonged to Kobe Bryant.

He entered the game trailing Michael Jordan, the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history, by just 18 points. Jordan participated in the All-Star Game 13 times, scored a total of 262 points, and won the All-Star Game MVP three times.

The 2012 game started in the West’s favour, leading 39-28 after the first quarter. In typical fashion, the scoring exploded and elite players showcased their lethal offensive abilities.

While West head coach Scott Brooks encouraged an uptempo, East head coach and defensive guru Tom Thibodeau was jokingly not happy. The fast pace continued into the second quarter, with the two teams scoring a combined 90 points.

At halftime, the West led 88-69. Bryant hasn’t surpassed that milestone yet, but he’s getting closer as the game goes on. It wasn’t until the third quarter that Bryant had his moment, cementing his temporary status as the greatest scorer in All-Star Game history.

With more than five minutes left in the third quarter, Durant received a pass from LeBron James and gave Kobe a beautiful shot in the open court. This was a breakthrough dunk. Kobe raised his hands and dunked, officially surpassing Jordan.

Judging from the results of the game, the Eastern team performed well in the second half and defeated the Western team 80-64 in the last two quarters. However, the Western team ultimately won 152-149. Durant was elected All-Star Game MVP with 36 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Although the award belongs to Durant, Kobe set another extraordinary record in his illustrious career. Bryant scored a total of 290 points in 15 All-Star games and was named MVP in four of the exhibition games.

LeBron James surpasses Kobe Bryant to become All-Star Game leading scorer

It is worth noting that Kobe’s record has been surpassed by LeBron James, who scored a total of 434 points in 20 All-Star games. However, the generational rivalry between Jordan and Kobe remains one of the greatest comparisons in NBA history.