Basketball

Devin Booker vs Kobe Bryant’s 60-point records showcase why the ‘School of Mamba’ is the way to go

Arun Sharma
|PublishedSep 20, 2022

Kobe Bryant and his protégé are the leaders for oldest and youngest to score 60 points in a game

Kobe Bryant has been an offensive machine his whole career – Devin Booker seems to be following in his footsteps.

Devin Booker was only 20 when he dropped 70 points in a loss against the Celtics. And just half a season ago, in 2016, his inspiration, Kobe Bryant, scored 60 in his last ever game against the Utah Jazz. Those two combined for a record that still stands today, 5 years later.

The “School of Mamba” if we can call it has produced some of the best scorers in the league. And for Kobe and his protege to hold the record says volumes about their merits.

Not many young players have come in after Booker dropped 70. And even if they did, they are not in that scoring realm. Ja Morant has been exciting to watch, but he wasn’t ready to score 70. Donovan Mitchell scored 50 only after turning 22, so he was out. The only person who could have matched the scoring run was Luka Doncic, and even he couldn’t.

The same goes for Kobe. The older a player gets, the less chance he has to score 30–40–50 in a game. Not many players stay in that shape, so watching a master impart one last thrashing was great to see. And it was fun to have Sensei and Grasshopper doing what they were born to do so close to each other.

Also Read: Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to follow ‘Kobe Bryant and produce a movie to vie for the Oscars!

Can LeBron James beat Kobe Bryant to the 60-point mark?

LeBron James will be older than Kobe by the end of the upcoming season, which means he will be eligible to take that spot from him. With the most points up for grabs this season, this record will be playing in the back of his mind too.

Knowing him, he may have timed his scoring run right after his birthday, given he would be clear of Kobe in December. But then, with all the respect he’s shown Kobe throughout his career, he may pull back just before hitting that point.

Given the rigors of the season, not many players will end up playing that long. They may touch 35, but closer to 40, not many are going to stay. Even if they did, they wouldn’t be as agile as LeBron or Kobe to drop 60 points in a game. Over a week? That would still be considered great for them!

Also Read: Jerry West, who snagged Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, wished he never played for the Lakers

About the author

Arun Sharma

Arun Sharma is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. A double degree holder and a digital marketer by trade, Arun has always been a sports buff. He fell in love with the sport of basketball at a young age and has been a Lakers fan since 2006. What started as a Kobe Bryant obsession slowly turned into a lifelong connection with the purple and gold. Arun has been an ardent subscriber to the Mamba mentality and has shed tears for a celebrity death only once in his life. He believes January 26, 2020, was the turning point in the passage of time because Kobe was the glue holding things together. From just a Lakers bandwagoner to a basketball fanatic, Arun has spent 16 long years growing up along with the league. He thinks Stephen Curry has ruined basketball forever, and the mid-range game is a sight to behold. Sharma also has many opinions about football (not the American kind), F1, MotoGP, tennis, and cricket.

Devin Booker vs Kobe Bryant’s 60-point records showcase why the ‘School of Mamba’ is the way to go

Can LeBron James beat Kobe Bryant to the 60-point mark?

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