(REUTERS) – Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant become the youngest player to score 30 000 NBA career points during the first half of Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Hornets.

Needing 13 more points to hit that mark before the start of the game, Bryant scored his 13th and 14th points on a short jumper with just over a minute remaining before halftime.
At the age of 34, the 14-time All-Star became only the fifth player to reach the milestone, emulating Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38 387), Karl Malone (36 928), Michael Jordan (32 292) and Wilt Chamberlain (31 419).
“It’s a huge honour, to say the least,” Bryant told reporters earlier this week about the prospect of breaking the 30 000-point barrier.
“Whenever you hear those kinds of names, you think about the amount of players that have played this game, and then to be in that kind of company, it’s always extremely, extremely special.”