Kobe Bryant passes Hayes for seventh on all-time scoring

[grishnak boss]

Kobe Bryant passes Elvin Hayes for seventh on the all-time scoring list. Posted by Matt Moore

Kobe Bryant ticked another name off the list of heroes and greats he continues to knock off in his drive up the all-time scoring list in the Lakers' win over the Thunder. Sunday it was Elvin Hayes as Bryant passed him to take seventh on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Hayes played 18 years in the NBA with the Houston Rockets and the Washington Bullets. He averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks for his career, including a 23 points, 14 rebounds per game rookie season.

An interesting note? Bryant has averaged a 45.5 percent FG percentage for his career, Hayes a 45.2 percent FG percentage. Pretty close. Hayes won one NBA championship with the Bullets in '78, while Bryant obviously has five rings and is gunning, so to speak, for his sixth.

Bryant finished with 17 points on 8-22 shooting in an ugly game. But much like his career, what people will remember is the "game winner" that put the Lakers up three and the fact that they got the win. That's his biggest contribution in terms of legacy.

Bryant is currently chasing Moses Malone by 89 points on the all-time list. He should pass him within the next four games.

[Subhuman Yeti]

4:21 With a pretty fadeaway J from the elbow he’s hit so many times in his career, Kobe Bryant became the 7th all-time leading score on the NBA’s list, surpassing Elvin Hayes, and tying the game in the process. It’s difficult to put that in perspective in a line, but pretty remarkable to think about the simple fact that only six players in the history of the game have scored more points than a guy still playing at a championship level.