By Veronica An
In 2010, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers became the youngest NBA player to reach 25,000 points at 31 years and 151 days. Bryant beat Wilt Chamberlain’s previous record by 35 days. He was also the youngest player in league history (at age 34) to reach 30,000 career points. Bryant is the third highest-scoring NBA player of all time and has five NBA titles, two Finals MVP Awards and two Olympic gold medals with Team USA. Bryant declared for the 1996 draft after he finished high school and earned recognition by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Competition. He was the highest scorer in Lakers team history and was chosen to start the All-Star Game for a record 18 consecutive appearances. Bryant is considered one of the greatest players in NBA history and had a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers with averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.