LA Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant will have to be content with individual milestones because of the inability of the Lakers to build a strong team. He has a real shot to become the third leading scorer in league history.

ESPN has been keeping tabs with this situation. Kobe would have easily hit that milestone last season if he did not get injured, but this season, he starts out with a clean bill of health.

From ESPN:

"Bryant, who missed all but six games last season because of injury, enters his 19th professional season with 31,700 career points, good for fourth on the all-time list. Ahead of him?Michael Jordan (32,292), Karl Malone (36,928) and the reigning champ, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar(38,387).

According to ESPN Stats and Info, if the 35-year-old Bryant averages 20 points per game for the Season. The Lakers' 29th game is Los Angeles Lakers, he can pass Jordan for third place in the 29th or 30th game of the 2014-15 se against Jordan's Bulls, on Christmas Day in Chicago. (Drama!)"

Bryant is 592 points behind Michael Jordan and that is definitely a reachable goal for Kobe. We're pretty sure he's motivated to do it: Bryant has always been on the chase for Michael Jordan's achievements. However, there are some milestones of His Airness that will remain out of reach for the Mamba.

Sadly for the Lakers, one of them is the most important-Jordan has six NBA titles, and Kobe has five. With the current roster, it's unlikely that they will reach that number. At least until Kobe Bryant's two year contract expires.

This is Season 1 of that contract and the Lakers are not by any means a championship contender. Another big blow they have to take: Kevin Love, their projected team-altering target for the 2015 Free agency is now tied to the Cleveland Cavaliers. With LaMarcus Aldridge also projected to stay in Portland, that leaves only Rajon Rondo of the Celtics as the prime free agent target. But even if the Lakers acquire him, it would not be enough to contend against the likes of the Spurs and Cavaliers.

The question is, will Kobe retire after his contract is up? In 2016, the league will be in a flurry again as Kevin Durant becomes a free agent for the very first time. The Lakers are obviously in the hunt!