Kobe Bryant First NBA Player To Hit 6K Assists, 30K Points

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant became the first player in NBA history to tally 6,000 assists and 30,000 points in his career.

Not even the worst Lakers season in decades can stop Kobe from being Kobe. The future Hall-of-Famer hit his 6,000th assist on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors, making Kobe Bryant the first player in NBA history to reach that mark as well as the 30,000 point plateau.

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“It’s a huge honor. It means I pass more than people say,” Bryant said per ESPN.

He’s right on that count. While Bryant has been just about everything to the Los Angeles Lakers for the bulk of his 19-year career, he’s mostly been known as a points hound and has occasionally been called a ball hog. This milestone at least attests to a different aspect of Bryant’s game.

“[T]he assists [milestone] is actually more enjoyable because it means guys are playing with confidence and they’re more involved,” Bryant said. “They emotionally feel better. They get more excited, more into the game. It makes playing more enjoyable.”

Making baskets certainly makes playing with Kobe Bryant more enjoyable. Of that, there is little doubt. Even coach Bryan Scott was beaming over Kobe’s play this season.

“He’s just an amazing basketball player. That’s the bottom line. He’s had an unbelievable career. He’s still going pretty strong,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “There’s a lot left in that tank, it’s obvious. His accomplishments are just fantastic. To watch him continue to compete the way that he does at this level is remarkable.”

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