Kobe Bryant passes Michael Jordan for 3rd on NBA's all-time scoring list

Michael Jordan has more rings, but Kobe Bryant has more points. 

Bryant passed Jordan for third on the NBA's all-time scoring list Sunday night, hitting a pair of free throws in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves to give him 32,293 career points, surpassing Jordan and pushing the Bulls legend's 32,292 points into fourth place all time. It took Bryant 197 more games to reach - and pass - Jordan's mark. 

Bryant, 36, in his 19th season, has been on a mission in 2014, shooting and shooting and shooting some more. He's finally caught Jordan, and Kobe will go down as one of the three most prolific scorers in NBA history, now trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) and Karl Malone (36,928 points). 

Kobe finished Sunday's game with 26 points on 7-of-20 shooting, as the Lakers beat the Timberwolves for their third straight win. Byrant hit 10 of his 13 free-throw attempts, and now sits at 32,310 career points. 

"I'm just honored to be here, man," Kobe said after the game Sunday, "to still be playing. I appreciate being able to play this long. Careers normally don't last this long. I really appreciate the opportunity to still be out there playing and performing and doing what I do." 

Jordan released a statement to the Associated Press after Bryant passed his mark:

I congratulate Kobe on reaching this milestone. He's obviously a great player, with a strong work ethic and has an equally strong passion for the game of basketball. I've enjoyed watching his game evolve over the years, and I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next.

"He knows how much I've learned from him," Kobe said about Jordan. "From the other legends, but him in particular." 

Kobe's contemporary, LeBron James, took to Twitter to congratulate Bryant, as did fellow Lakers great Magic Johnson.

Jordan finished his career in 2002-03 in Washington at 39, averaging 20 points on 45 percent shooting. He spent 15 seasons in the NBA, playing 1,072 games and averaging 30.1 points on .497 shooting. He famously sat out the 1993-94 season to chase his baseball dream, and retired after the 1998 season, at 34, only to return in 2001-02 at 38. 

Here's a slow-motion clip of Bryant's second free throw. 

Bryant, who broke into the league at 18 in 1996-97, surpasses Jordan's point total in his 1,269th game. He was averaging 25.4 points per game on .387 shooting in his career heading into Sunday's action. 

After securing the victory, Bryant made sure to pay homage to his fellow greats.