Friday, July 22nd, 2011 at 9:20 am  |  132 responses

Phil Jackson: Kobe Wants to Pass Jordan on All-Time Scoring List


Phil Jackson told the LA Times last season that even though Kobe Bryant publicly tries to play off the historic scoring milestones, he desperately wants to leapfrog Michael Jordan on the all-time career scoring leaderboard. This should surprise precisely no one: “With an indifferent expression, stony silence and a downplaying of each milestone, Kobe Bryant tried hard to show that he wasn’t preoccupied with climbing the NBA’s all-time scoring list. But not many believed him, including Phil Jackson. When I asked the former Lakers coach last season which player Bryant wants to pass on the scoring list the most, Jackson replied without hesitation, ‘Michael Jordan.’ Bryant argued that wasn’t true and continued touting his sole motivation entails trying to minimize the gap between Bill Russell’s 11 NBA titles and his own five. Bryant isn’t lying when he says that’s his main motivation, but it’s misleading to act indifferent about it when teammates, media and the general public know he’s driven to be the best player ever.”

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  • http://m&m nhelly

    Kobe is the best SG defender!

  • http://nba.com EJ

    @Van City, Lebron was the sole leader of his team from the get go, Kobe was a bench player at first and then he played with Shaq. Keep that in mind when you look at the stats.

  • http://slamonline.com Tracy

    Well I thought that was every great scorer’s ambition.

  • That’s what he

    Kobe will always be Kobe and Michael will always be Micheal. To me, Micheal is King and Kobe is Prince of basketball.
    Lebron is the joker. hah

  • Yann Blavec

    Karl Malone is number 2 on the list. That makes him a number two. (Remember when Slam magazine writers were new-york knicks fans and utah jazz haters?)

  • redat9

    Ive watched MJ play since I was 5 and til now I prefer to watch him just shoot around at a Bobcat practice then some nba games lol

    I love watching Kobe and many people have different opinions cause of similarities, but even Kobe said it himself at the 2010 Championship post conference that 90% of what he learned is from MJ, so the similarities are gonna be there.

    Michael Jordan’s Greatness is just not that simple, its not just numbers.

  • Van City

    @EJ, I fully understand that, but there’s a reason why Lebron was the leader from the get go and Kobe wasn’t. Even if Kobe had been drafted by the Cavs team which drafted Lebron, he would not have been as successful individually from the start as Lebron was. I’m also not just comparing numbers/stat, but also accomplishments/awards/achievements etc. Regarding the Shaq point: of course Kobe would have had much better numbers had he not played with Shaq, but he also wouldn’t have won those 3 rings either. Imagine how differently Kobe would be viewed if he only had 2 rings at this point in his career instead of 5. It works both ways.

  • Van City

    Also I hope nobody thinks that I’m hating on Kobe. I think the guy’s a top 10 – 12 all time player and can only rise from this point. I’m just trying to compare Kobe and Lebron at the same age and playing experience.

  • zach

    This Carmelo guy shouldn’t even be allowed to watch basketball let alone speak on it. Dude can’t even get Kobe and MJ’s heights right. MJ is a half inch shorter than kobe. Both listed at 6’6 but w/o shoes MJ is 6’4 and Kobe is nearly 6’5. MJ was a better defender and his footwork is Kobe’s blueprint. MJ’s midrange game was light years better than Kobe’s, he was a better passer, an athletic freak, better at attacking, and a better finisher around the rim. I’m tired of all the toddlers around here thinking Kobe is equal or better than MJ.

  • zach

    Let’s not even talk about efficiency. Kobe can’t sniff MJs boxers when it comes to shot selection and fg%.

  • Van City

    @zach, Ditto you pretty much nailed it

  • BostonBaller

    Kobe’s game is not on the downside just yet so don’t count him out. MJ would still be the GOAT though. No lockout please!!! WNBA !!!

  • yeayea

    just ask yourselves if yall dont wanna be better than the best. even if u cant be atleast as a man ud try. come on. dont judge the man if he got the heart to even try to be. he wont be the best ever but he is one of them. just enjoy the game. he up there anyways

  • liza

    its so obvious..i mean, where is the fun in that, right?
    as great as kobe is, he is still a chaser.. mj did chase magics 5 kings make his 6 rings intead..so not only kobe wants to surpass scoring list but i think even wants to have 7th.. i think that is great for motivation..
    wait, after all kobe score this and that, he still what, needs 2 years to surpass mj in the scoring list?well2, we will have to see.
    this year, next season, its now or never for kobe..unless he wins.. if he lose..its sunset time..unless lebron is stil immature..he may still have 2 more good years,haha

  • http://Slamonline.com CatKiller

    Nbk why you always on here acting like you some NBA scout?? Man you just some duude with no life trying to prove the world wrong bout basketball. I could sit around and google stats all day and pretend like I’m a true ballet too. Get on my level

  • brandon

    ima kobe fan, but even if kobe passes jordan doesnt mean kobe will be better. people arent goin around sayin that kareem is better than jordan. i hate when people throw out hate comments bout kobe and or lebron.

  • carmelo

    Phil Jackson even said Kobe was better,and thats not just because Kobe is on his team,Phil coached both.Have an answer for that,Zack?

  • Lisa

    I’ve checked out all your guys arguments – here’s the argument from a basketball lovin woman’s perspective: 1) measure of a champion is performance under pressure when it counts most — NO ONE has averaged in the 30s for points in playoffs; MJ averaged 33. 2)it’s much easier to enhance what someone else has already built – MJ was the originator and Kobe borrowed and added a few new moves of his own (which is cool but you must give more credit to the one who laid the foundation). 3) MJ was ALWAYS the lead, from start to finish. 4) Saying Kobe is better than MJ is like saying that Kobe can still win the race although it took him longer to finish – Kobe had 14 years to surpass MJs numbers and he didnt. It’s no debate as to who is better. Lebron is only in this conversation because of potential – but until that potential is REALIZED his name should not even be mentioned in the same sentence.

  • Chris

    The reality is that Kobe has matured (on the court anyway) into one of the greatest players in the game. He is confident in his ability and so he should be. He’s got the rings to proove his ability. He’s no Michael Jordan but the two things Jordan and Kobe have in common; First they both earned the right to be called champions. Secondly like Jordan anyone that guards Kobe has to improve, he makes others play better or suffer the consequences!

  • Chris

    I dont understand why people think Kobe has better skill set. Jordan had excellent ball handling ability, dribble speed, he could rebound, block shots. He improved all the area’s of his game that he had to. He was a defensive freak and while Kobe is an offencive weapon in his own right. Michael Jordan used to embarass even the best defencive players in the game. Many of which openly admitted it. I actually think that Scottie Pippen is a better player than Kobe. Pippen sacrificed statistics to keep playing on the Bulls. When Jordan was playing baseball Pippen lead the Bulls in Points, Rebounds, Assists, Blocks, Steals. He is the only player in NBA history to lead his team in every individual statistic. Not Jordan, not Kobe, not Lebron. Pippen will clearly never be on the G.O.A.T argument list. But as an ALL ROUND player, no one is better than Scottie.

  • Chris

    That’s a good perspective Lisa. I’m not sure about Lebron. His attitude looks a little shaky, I dont know him personally only what I see during games. However if he remains humble and injury free, he will surpass a lot of people. He’s more than potential, he has proven that he has game no doubt. The question is can he translate that ability into rings. He deserves a mention but that’s about it at the moment.

  • Marco

    michael jordan is the best player ever but i hate when people keep saying he wil ALWAYS be the best player. does things don’t last forever. people don’t like to believe but the lebron could be better than lebron in the near future. you can call him lebrick or whatever but you can’t deny that he is the best player in the nba. plus lebron is bigger and more versatile. he can also play more positions than jordan and could play an undersized center.

  • http://gmail.com z

    wow lisa just gave the most reasoned, well thought out comment on this whole thread. Apparently, fellas, the ladies know more about the game than we do! step your analysis up, guys, lisa just owned all of your partisan lebron/kobe arguments.

  • dnice

    seriously,,karl malone passed jordan in scoring,,,does that make him better than jordan,,,i think not,,,kobe won titles with a dominant center,,the first 3 titles belong to shaq!!!! the last 2 belong to pau and bynum,,fisher and artest,,really,,true basketball fans know,,kobe wasn’t the main catalyst,,when shaq left he cried and wanted out,,,,then jerry west gift wrapped pau gasol from memphis !!!!! jordan built his team from scratch !!!! stop these ridiculous comparisons,,,,10 scoring titles,,,5 mvps,,,6 finals mvps..lead the leaugue in steals 3 times !!! come on ppl !!!

  • dnice

    kobe has been embarrassed twice in the finals,,,see tayshaun prince and then paul pierce !!!!!a no sho in the second half of the phoenix game in the playoffs,,,seriously yall are truly prisoners of the moment,,,!!!! jordan,,,highest regular season and playoff scoring average in NBA HISTORY !!! PERIOD !!!!

  • dnice

    kobe bryant is a great player in his own rite,,,,he has a lil killer instinct,,but he is not close to michael jordan,,,compair their history,,season for season….its’ not close !!! kobe has 1 mvp and 2 finals mvps,,,,shaq has 3 finals mvps,,,and was a beast in the first 3 championships,,while kobe averaged 15 ppg !!! anyone who can score can move up the list as long as they play enough games…..wilt and jordan are really close in games played and scoring average in the regular season,,,he is the only player that i would put in jordans atmosphere !!!

  • http://slamonline.com north philly

    Kobe is the man wit out him there wont be 5 rings in LA yea he had help but really name one player that did it but they self you see bron still aint got one lets just be real for once

  • dnice

    kobe isnt the man,,,if he was,,he wouldnt have wanted to be traded and cried about it,,,,,they would have won a few rings with shaq !!! shaq went to miami,,and won,,,kobe couldnt carry the load,,case and point,,until after gasol came,,same team that won it last year,,when gasol was ballin is the same team that got swept !!! hhhmmmmmmmmm

  • http://Slamonline.com CatKiller

    Skill wise MJ wins no doubt he also wins in the ring catergory also. But if you you wanna give more credit to the man you laid the foundation i think MJ wouldnt have been who he was without Dr. J and Dr. J wouldn’t have been who he was without Elgin Baylor. So really you can’t put greatness next to MJ because alot of moves he used were old school Erving or Baylor moves and nowadays we see Kobe using classic MJ moves. It’s just a repeating
    Cycle so I think if MJ and Kobe we to both be rookies tensame year and play on identical teams they would have been the exact same player

  • http://JK beast

    ALL THE HATE LOL SO WHAT IF HE NEVER REACHES MJ’S STATUS!!! HE IS THE RUNNER UP AND ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, WHO WOULDN’T BE CONTENT WITH THAT. ALL OF YOU IGNORANT HATE FILLED PEOPLE PROBABLY NEVER HAVE BEEN AND NEVER WILL BE ABLE TO EVEN AFFORD SEASON TICKETS FOR ONE YEAR TO WATCH THAT MAN PLAY.. CHEW ON THAT (FOOD FOR THOUGHT)

  • kobefan24

    To everyone who says kobe isnt a team player, i say this. How do you play basketball and not be a team player. Thats impossible: he plays on a team. And if you are asserting that he is selfish, thats also impossible because you have to buy into the team concept to win FIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS?? SMDH…

  • http://www.facebook.com/jack.daily.5 Jacks Daily

    Jordan played for 15 seasons, 13 if you don’t count the two in which he only played 17-18 games. Kobe is now in his 17th season and still hasn’t passed Jordan on the all time scoring list. When he does pass Jordan, it really won’t mean anything as it took Kobe longer to do so.

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