Kobe Bryant is most iconic for his remarkable 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. The high-octane scoring outburst remains the second-highest single-game scoring total in NBA history. He fell just 19 points short of Wilt Chamberlain’s seemingly unbreakable 100-point game. Former Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic believes Bryant’s historic 62-point game was his chance at surpassing Chamberlain’s record.
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Vujacic was part of some amazing Lakers teams, and as such, he had the privilege of witnessing a few of Bryant’s patented performances firsthand. A few months before Bryant put up 81 points, he scored 62 points in only three quarters against the Mavericks.
Dallas had no answer for the Black Mamba, who scored 55% of the Lakers’ 112 points. No other player on the team finished in double figures. He single-handedly willed his team to victory.
Vujacic made a guest appearance on Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast and recalled the incredible performance. He firmly believes that if Bryant had played more minutes, he could’ve scored the most points in NBA history.
“That game, he knew he could’ve scored more than 100 easily,” Vujacic said.
Following the game, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson received a great deal of criticism for benching Bryant in the fourth quarter. Vujacic reveals that Jackson reassured the media that the Lakers had bigger goals to focus on. That same sentiment aslo resided in Bryant.
“Kobe was not focused on individual accolades,” Vujacic said. “He was focused on winning championships.”
Those years were tough for Lakers fans, as the team struggled to reach their dominant heights of the early 2000s. Bryant would eventually follow through with his word, though, and bring back-to-back championships to LA in 2009 and 2010.
Vujacic witnessed Kobe’s greatness
The Lakers drafted Vujacic with the 27th pick of the 2004 NBA Draft. The first seven years of his career were with the Purple and Gold, which meant he spent plenty of time around Bryant. Vujacic has spoken volumes about the five-time NBA champion’s greatness.
“[Kobe] probably got up at like 4 o’clock because he was in the gym at 5,” Vujacic said. “I got to the gym at 5 o’clock, and I’m like, ‘Kobe?’ Like, I’m the rookie. I’ve got to prove myself … But then, when you see Kobe, you’re like, wow. He’s a franchise player. He already won, and he wants to keep going. With Kobe, it was that obsession of being the greatest.”
Bryant never let himself take a day for granted. He tirelessly worked at his craft to become the best he could be. Although the determination shocked Vuajcic, it motivated him to work on his game. That work paid off as he knocked down two clutch free throws in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, making the veteran Bryant extremely proud in the process.
