Kobe Bryant shoots over former Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups in a 2009 game. (Tim Rasmussen, The Denver Post)
Throughout his 18-plus seasons in the NBA, Kobe Bryant has drawn comparisons to Michael Jordan for . Now the Lakers great and five-time champion is on the at No. 3 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, a feat he’s all but certain to achieve Sunday at Minnesota (he needs only nine points).
The Denver Nuggets, for better or worse, deserve some credit here. Although Bryant has posted his best scoring average (27.9 points per game) against the Golden State Warriors and has saved the most 40-plus-point games for the Phoenix Suns (11), he scored 40 or more against the Nuggets nine times, tied with Houston for the third-most. (He did it to the Warriors 10 times.)
Here’s a look back at those nine games against the Nuggets, starting with his first two on back-to-back nights:
Feb. 11, 2003: 42 points in a 121-93 Lakers win in L.A.
Feb. 12, 2003: 51 points in 113-102 Lakers win in Denver
Jan. 2, 2005: 42 points in a 99-91 Lakers win in L.A.
April 6, 2006: 42 points in a 110-108 (OT) Nuggets win in Denver
April 23, 2008: 49 points in 112-107 Lakers win in L.A.
May 19, 2009: 40 points in a 105-103 Lakers win in L.A.
May 23, 2009: 41 points in 103-97 Lakers win in Denver
May 8, 2012: 43 points in a 102-99 Nuggets win in L.A.
Dec. 26, 2012: 40 points in 126-114 Nuggets win in L.A.
