8 Feb 2012

Kobe becomes NBA's fifth all time leading scorer

7:21 am on 8 February 2012

The American basketball star Kobe Bryant passed former team-mate Shaquille O'Neal for fifth on the NBA's all-time scoring list but Philadelphia spoiled the moment with a 95-90 victory over Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant came into the game with 28,573 career points and needing 24 points to move past O'Neal for fifth on the career list.

He scored 24 in the first half, draining a long-range jump shot with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter to get to 24 points for the night but the Lakers superstar scored just four points in the second half in the face of aggressive 76ers defence.

O'Neal, who won three titles with Bryant in nine seasons they played together for the Lakers, retired last season with a total of 28,596 points in his 19-year NBA career.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 38,387 points, leads the NBA's career scoring list, followed by Karl Malone (36,928), Michael Jordan (32,292) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419).

The Lakers coach Mike Brown says Bryant, a 16-year NBA veteran, could reach the top of the list.