Kobe Bryant reaches 30,000 career points

On a six-foot runner through the heart of the defense in the second quarter, like so many he's made before, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to score 30,000 points on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Hornets. Here is the play in action.

Bryant, who has played 1,179 regular season games over the course of his career, is the NBA's scoring leader for the 2012-13 season with an average of 27.9 points per game as of Dec. 5. He became the youngest player to reach the 30K milestone at 34 years, 104 days old, besting Wilt Chamberlain (35 years, 179 days), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (36 years, 217 days), Karl Malone (36 years, 189 days) and Michael Jordan (38 years, 321 days).

In the ongoing comparison between Bryant and Jordan, it's worth noting that Jordan accomplished the feat in fewer minutes, largely due to the fact that Bryant has played since the age of 18, missed 103 games due to injury and played in two lockout-shortened seasons.

Bryant's accomplishment comes as the Lakers are 8-10 and struggling through issues on both sides of the ball surrounding an early-season coaching change, new personnel and a new offense. The Lakers are just 1-5 on the road as they continue to search for any rhythm on the current road trip.