Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan — at least as far as the NBA’s all-time scoring list is concerned.

科比比乔丹更优秀？至少在NBA个人职业生涯总得分榜上他已经超越了“飞人”。

On Dec 14, the Los Angeles Lakers star reached 32,293 points in the second quarter of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center, which allowed him to finally surpass Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan (32,292 points). Now, Bryant has moved into the third place in career scoring, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) and Karl Malone (36,928 points) ahead of him.

本月14日，在美国目标中心球馆里科比所在的洛杉矶湖人对战明尼苏达森林狼，比赛第二节，（凭借两记罚球）科比的NBA个人职业生涯总得分达到32293分，正式超越芝加哥公牛队的传奇球星乔丹（32292分），荣登历史得分榜第三位，仅次于“天勾”贾巴尔（38387分）和卡尔•马龙（36928分）

The Timberwolves stopped the game, owner Glen Taylor presented Bryant with the game ball and a Lakers-heavy crowd gave a standing¹ ovation². Bryant, with a big smile on his face, received hugs from teammates and the Timberwolves, and waved to the crowd.

森林狼队为他叫停了比赛，森林狼的大老板格伦•泰勒将这场比赛的用球送给了科比。湖人式的欢呼声更是响彻全场。科比面露灿烂笑容，与队友和森林狼的队员们一一拥抱，又挥手致意（场外）欢呼的人群。

Indeed, the milestone³ is no small feat⁴ for Bryant, as he forged his Hall of Fame career in Jordan’s shadow. Almost since the day Bryant entered the league in 1996 at the age of 18, everything about the two invited comparison. From their sizes (each 198 cm) to the almost eerie⁵ similarities of the way they pump their fists after big shots. The debate has raged on whether Bryant can surpass Jordan all the time.

作为NBA名人堂的一员，科比的进步一直笼罩在乔丹的光辉之下，能完成这次里程碑式的超越确实是个不小的成绩。自1996年18岁的科比加入NBA以来，他与乔丹各方面的比较就从未停止，从身高（都是198cm）到每次华丽进球后相似的（后跳）挥拳庆祝的怪异姿势。而科比能否超越乔丹的争论更是一直以来的热门话题。

Bryant seemed to long for getting rid of these comparisons. “The thing that I always bristled⁶ at was the notion that I learned everything that I know from Michael,” Bryant told Bleacher Report.

摆脱这些对比似乎是科比长久以来的愿望。他在接受美国体育媒体Bleacher Report采访时曾说，“似乎我所学到的一切都来自乔丹，这让我很不开心。”

However, his health issues got in the way. The 36-year-old player missed all but six games in 2013-14, first recovering from a torn Achilles and then suffering a season-ending knee injury.

但是，伤病让他的愿望一拖再拖。今年36岁的科比在2103-2014赛季先后因为跟腱撕裂与膝伤只打了6场比赛，其中膝盖受伤更是令他之后的整个赛季全部报销。

Jordan shot a higher field goal percentage, won six titles to the five that Bryant has now and climbed past Wilt⁷ Chamberlain into third on the list at 1,039 games in 2003 compared to Bryant’s 1,269.

乔丹拥有更高的投篮命中率，截止2003年（退役前）他共出场1039次、获得6个NBA总冠军、总得分排名超越威尔特‧张伯伦跻身前三，而科比目前共出场1269次、只拿到5个总冠军。

But Bryant’s competitiveness, tenacity⁸ and sheer will, is about as close as it gets to Jordan. “Just like we’ve never seen another player like Michael Jordan, we will never see another player like Kobe Bryant!” Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson tweeted.

但科比的竞争力、韧性、以及意志都与乔丹相差无二。湖人的另一位名人堂成员埃尔文•约翰逊曾在Twitter上写到：正如没有第二个乔丹一样，也没有第二个科比。

With two all-time greats still ahead of Bryant, whether he can continue to progress remains⁹ to be seen. It may be difficult for him to push even further, but he’s certainly already entered legendary¹⁰ territory.

目前，（排行榜上）科比之前还有两位篮球史上的传奇前辈（贾巴尔和卡尔•马龙），他能否继续前进？我们拭目以待！完成新的超越对他而言也许并非易事，但他已是传奇！