“How the hell did Kobe Bryant score 81 points in a single game?!”: When the Lakers legend joined Wilt Chamberlain atop the scoring charts in a game vs Raptors

Kobe Bryant scored 33,643 points in his 20 NBA career – much of it was because of his ability to go ballistic like the 81 point game against the Raptors

Kobe bean Bryant was a mean guy on the court – in his heyday opposition teams quaked in their boots because he could drop 50 points on their heads without breaking a sweat. On January 22, 2006, the Raptors actually saw what can only be described as the best offensive performance by anyone bar a player named Wilt Chamberlain in the last 40 years.

Phil Jackson, the legendary coach who coached Michael Jordan himself was too stunned by the performance. “That was something to behold,” Jackson said. “It was another level. I’ve seen some remarkable games, but I’ve never seen one like that before”.  It was remarkable indeed because the man literally scored 81 of the 122 points the Lakers would score in a comeback win against the Raptors.

Even Kobe was in disbelief after the game. he could not believe that almost everything he shot was going in – He scored 27 points in the third quarter and 28 points in the 4th to single-handedly bringing the Lakers back to a win. He said he only wanted a W against the Toronto Raptors – the addition of the 81 points feels like a dream.

Also Read: “Who else but Kobe Bryant could do this??”: When the Black Mamba channeled his inner Larry Bird to switch hands mid-game after a rotator cuff injury

Kobe Bryant was ultra-competitive – he could have had multiple 70 point game if he wanted to

For a while, in the mid-2000s there was no one better than Kobe in scoring the basketball. He went on runs that looked like they were straight out of a video game. 40 points didn’t seem unattainable – even 60 points was not out of reach for the 4th highest scorer in the game. The man could terrorize defenses and teammates alike.

He may have been called a selfish player when he did, but that only showed the confidence he had in himself. No Hall of fame player would accept that they did not back themselves to score at any given point in the game, however bad of a scoring rut they may have been in. The Mamba was a staunch believer in himself, and it showed.

Kobe was an inspiration to many of the current generation of players like Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving, Jason Tatum to name a few. When he retired, the league felt like they had lost a father figure – something they all looked up to. And 2 years ago when he passed away in that tragic helicopter accident, the league came to a standstill after hearing the news. Even in death, the man inspired many to become the best version of themselves – the same way he strived every day for 20 years on the NBA court.

Also Read: “I am not Kobe Bryant”: Devin Booker respectfully dismisses comparisons between the Lakers legend and him after repeated Mamba Mentality chants from fans