With 30 points in a much needed win for the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant moved up another spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain and ending up, for now, with 31,434 points, leaving him behind only Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Bryant was already in fourth during the second quarter, hitting a pull-up jumper from the foul line, giving him 31,421 career points, leading the Lakers to a win over the Sacramento Kings, keeping them tied with the Utah Jazz from the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, 8 games to go in the season.

As for the record, his next upgrade in the standings is just under 900 points away (32,292), which means Bryant will leave Jordan behind on the scoring list next season, as long as he keeps up this pace of scoring and no one decided to turn him into a bench player, or anything of the sorts, which is highly unlikely.

It’s been a very, very long journey. I’m certainly extremely appreciative of all the support and the Laker faithful, the ‘Laker Nation,’ from being a 17-year-old kid to a 34-year-old man and all the support they’ve given me throughout my career.

On previous times Bryant made jumps through the rankings or even entered the top 10, he didn’t make too much of a deal. Maybe it’s when NBA titles don’t seem likely on the horizon, the appreciation for what you do on the individual level becomes greater.