The last days of the reigning king
For Kobe · Bryant, one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, his career can be summed up in two words: "brilliant." From entering the NBA at the age of 18 to retiring at the age of 36, in 20 years, he showed all the qualities of a good scorer — excellent ball handling, accurate shooting, versatility on offense, and dedication to defense, making him an indispensable star in the league.
Kobe Bryant's career was destined to become an epic legend in the NBA. When he first joined the league, he didn't do it overnight, but it took a long adaptation process. But it was this process that forged his strong will and persistent desire to win, which allowed him to gradually grow from a rookie off the bench to the league's leading scorer and three-time Finals MVP. Throughout his career, Bryant has been demanding perfection and demanding of himself, and this drive and determination has made him one of the most competitive players in league history.
In Kobe's career, he is best remembered for leading the Lakers to championship titles for three consecutive years (2000-2002). That Lakers team is arguably one of the strongest teams in history, and Bryant is the core scorer in it, forming an inexplicable twin-tower combination with O'Neal. During that time, Bryant was at a blister's end, scoring more than 20 points every season, while showing great agility and aggressiveness on the defensive end. It is with such an all-round outstanding play that Kobe Bryant can reach the top of the NBA with the Lakers.
But even so, Bryant's career hasn't been smooth sailing. After O'Neal left the Lakers, Bryant said at one point that he wanted to be traded away. However, under the repeated persuasion of the team's management, Kobe Bryant finally decided to stay and led the Lakers back to the rise in the 2007-2008 season, and finally won the championship. This victory marked the beginning of Kobe's reign, and he has played an absolutely central role in the Lakers team ever since. In the next two seasons, Kobe Bryant was elected MVP of the Finals twice in a row, completely dispelling the outside world's doubts that he could not lead the team to win the championship independently.
In the 2012-2013 season, Bryant suffered the worst injury of his career, and a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg caused him to miss most of the season. Although Bryant still struggled to make a comeback in the following seasons, he never returned to his peak form. Finally, in the final game on April 13, 2016, Bryant ended his illustrious career with a classic 60-point battle.
The curtain came down on the most competitive player in NBA history, and his 846 regular-season wins became the most of any current scorer. Among the active players, the strongest pure scorer is Durant. Durant has also expressed his admiration for Kobe Bryant many times in his career, so is it possible for him to surpass Kobe's record before retiring?
Durant has been in the NBA for 17 seasons, starting with the Seattle SuperSonics when he first entered the league, and then playing for the Thunder, Warriors, and now the Suns, where he has been one of the league's top scorers. An excellent scorer, Durant has excellent shooting ability and all-round offensive means, not only scoring with three-point shots, but also excellent performance in mid-range and interior offense. At the same time, he also has good rebounding and assist ability to influence the game across the board.
Throughout Durant's career, he has won the scoring title 4 times and was voted MVP 1 time, which is enough to prove how good he is as an individual. Especially in the three seasons after joining the Warriors, Durant has shown his strong strength among the league's dominant teams, helping the team win championships twice and winning the Finals MVP for consecutive years. Arguably, Durant is arguably the most successful of the league's top scorers today.
But compared to Kobe, Durant was slightly lacking in the early stages of his career. Kobe Bryant was already able to play an important role in the Lakers, a strong team, in his first season in the league, and gradually grew into a top star in the league. And although Durant also showed outstanding talent in the Thunder, he was not the absolute core of that team, and it was not until he joined the Warriors that he really proved his leadership qualities.
In addition, Durant's career has also been full of transfer hopping, and this frequent transfer has somewhat affected his ability to fight continuously. While playing well on every team, Bryant has been loyal to the Lakers in contrast, playing for only one team for his entire career. This loyalty and consistency have also been important factors in Kobe's success.
On the whole, it is still very difficult for Durant to surpass Kobe Bryant in the number of regular season wins. Durant currently has 664 regular-season wins, 182 short of Bryant's 846. If Durant is calculated based on the number of games played and the winning percentage each season, he will need to play at least four more seasons to catch up with Kobe. And Durant is now 35 years old, and as he gets older, his form and playing time may also decline, which will undoubtedly affect the rate of growth in his regular season wins.
Therefore, to surpass Kobe Bryant in the limited career time is indeed a difficult task for Durant. Maybe Durant should focus more on chasing a championship, after all, that's the ultimate goal of every NBA player. In contrast, the significance of the record cannot be ignored, but the championship is undoubtedly the highest honor for a player's greatness.
Kobe's career is arguably one of the most legendary in NBA history. From being an obscure rookie to becoming a top star in the league to leading the Lakers to back-to-back championships, Bryant has shown amazing progress and growth at every stage. Even after suffering a serious injury at the end of his career, he maintained his passion for basketball and ended his career with a spectacular 60-point battle.
In contrast, Durant, although he is also the league's top scorer, is still difficult to compare to Kobe Bryant in his career. Although Durant has far surpassed most players in terms of personal strength and accolades, he still needs to put in more effort and time to match Kobe Bryant in terms of regular season wins. Perhaps for Durant, more attention should be focused on continuing to pursue a championship and proving his greatness with a championship, rather than simply dwelling on a record chase.
In conclusion, Bryant's career is undoubtedly one of the most exciting chapters in league history. He rose from an obscure rookie to one of the league's most famous scorers, leaving behind a legacy of accomplishments and legends over the course of his 20-year career. Although Durant is also the league's top scorer today, there is still a long way to go to surpass Kobe's achievements across the board. Maybe Durant should focus on his path and show his greatness in other ways instead of simply staring at a specific record.
Kobe's successor - Durant's rise to prominence
For basketball fans, Kobe · Bryant is undoubtedly one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. The amazing strength and never-give-up spirit he has shown in his career have undoubtedly left a deep mark on the entire game of basketball.
However, Bryant's retirement also marked the end of an era. Who will be the league's top scorer after him? There is no doubt that the heavy lifting will fall on the shoulders of another outstanding scorer - Kevin · Durant.
Durant has been playing in the NBA for 17 seasons, gradually growing from a rookie to a top superstar in the league, and the process is also impressive. In his early days with the Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder, Durant showed excellent scoring ability and well-rounded offensive skills. He won the scoring title many times with his excellent shooting touch and explosiveness, and was also elected regular season MVP in 2014.
When Durant joined the Warriors, his accomplishments took to the next level. In this dominant team, Durant not only helped the team win the championship twice, but also won two consecutive Finals MVP. It can be said that in these three seasons, Durant has truly shown his leadership qualities and become one of the league's recognized top stars.
Despite suffering a serious Achilles tendon rupture injury in 2019, Durant continued to run at a high level for the next few seasons. Now playing for the Suns, he can still average more than 27 points per game, which fully proves that his scoring talent is still online.
In contrast, Bryant suffered a number of serious injuries during his career, the most serious of which was a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg in the 2012-2013 season. Although Bryant continued to work hard to make a comeback in the following seasons, it was difficult to get back to his peak form. This also doomed him to not be able to continue his former glory in the last few years of his career.
Although Durant has experienced some injuries so far, the impact of injuries on him is much less in comparison. This, combined with his excellent fitness and professional rehabilitation, has enabled him to quickly return to peak performance after his injury. This provides a solid foundation for him to continue to excel in the coming seasons.
In addition, Durant has also shown strong adaptability in the transfer process of his career. From Seattle to Oklahoma to the Warriors and now the Suns, he's been able to quickly settle into his new surroundings and put on great individual performances on every team. Kobe Bryant, on the other hand, has always been loyal to the Lakers, and this stable playing environment has undoubtedly helped him build his career.
Overall, Durant is expected to surpass Kobe Bryant's record in the number of regular season wins in the future. Durant's current regular season win tally stands at 664, 182 games short of Bryant's 846. Based on Durant's current form and playing time, he may need to play about 4 more seasons before he can catch up with Kobe. And Durant is still only 35 years old, in good physical condition, and more than capable of accomplishing that goal in the next few years.
Of course, the mere pursuit of the meaning of a digital record is not the most important thing. For a great NBA star, in the end, it is necessary to prove his greatness by winning the championship. Kobe's achievements in this area are also unparalleled, with 3 championships and 2 Finals MVP honors enough to show his status in the league.
Although Durant is already quite good in terms of individual honors, he still has a long way to go on the road to winning a championship. The current Suns, who performed well in the regular season, failed to reach the Finals again in the playoffs. This also means that Durant still needs to continue to work hard to fulfill his dream of winning a championship.
Perhaps in the coming seasons, Durant will be able to match or even surpass Kobe Bryant in the number of regular-season wins. But more importantly, can he leave a legendary basketball story like Kobe Bryant in the final stage of his career, interpreting his greatness in a championship-like way.
It's a huge challenge, but it's also the highest goal a good NBA star should aspire to. I believe that in the years to come, Durant can make a breakthrough on this road, surpass himself, surpass Kobe, and achieve his own basketball legend.