MIAMI (AP)—Kobe Bryant is 33 years old, has spent nearly half of his life in the NBA, is dealing with a significant wrist injury and has taken about 3,000 more shots in his career than any other active player.

Given all that, some may think he’s a candidate to start slowing down.

LeBron James is not among those who would even consider that possible.

The NBA’s top two scorers this season—Bryant at 30.8 points per game, James at 29.8—go head-to-head on Thursday, when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Miami Heat. Even with subplots including James facing his former Cleveland coach in the Lakers’ Mike Brown, the possibility that Dwyane Wade may sit out again with a sprained right ankle and hints that Miami center Eddy Curry may make his Heat debut, all eyes will be on one thing.

Kobe vs. LeBron.

“We know how great of a player, how competitive he is,” James said. “And he’s not going to sell himself short, either. … He’s a scorer. He’s a flat-out scorer.”

Bryant is coming off a span where he scored at least 40 points in four straight games until a 73-70 win over Dallas on Monday. Bryant entered Wednesday ranking seventh in the NBA in minutes per game (37.7), a stat made even more impressive when considering that only one of the six players ahead of him on that list is older than 27.

“I do want to get it down,” Brown said. “He’s played a ton of minutes too early right now.”

Hey, if Brown wants to start that policy on Thursday, it doesn’t sound like the Heat would complain.

“He looks healthier and quicker than he did last year,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think everybody knew he wasn’t 100 percent last year. He was just grinding through it and the lockout was probably beneficial for him, the extra time but also he was able to get stronger. He looks very lean. He looks in great shape.”

Bryant is on pace to average 30 points for the first time in five seasons. And he’s putting up those numbers even though a ligament issue in his right wrist—his shooting side—is hampering him at times on long jumpers, noted by his career-low 24 percent success rate from 3-point range so far this year.

He’s more than compensating in other areas of his game.

“Not a surprise,” Heat forward Shane Battier said. “That’s what he’s done his entire career. You know when you’re getting ready to lace `em up against Kobe Bryant, you load up for bear. It’s going to be a work-filled day.”

Head-to-head, James and Bryant have remarkably similar numbers. Over the last 11 meetings between their teams, James is averaging 27.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7 assists, while Bryant is putting up 28.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

There is one significant difference in that span: James’ team have won 9 of 11 against the Lakers.

“It’s not about LeBron and Kobe,” James said. “It’s the Lakers versus Heat thing. … We just try to do what’s best for our team and help our teams win.”