“Kobe Bryant had a legitimate chance to better Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game”: On this day in 2005 Lakers legend Kobe Bryant outscored the entire Dallas Mavericks team all by himself

Kobe Bryant was a scoring machine. 16 years ago, The Black Mamba had the most impressive game of his career.

Kobe Bryant is one of the most iconic players in the history of the NBA. He truly mastered the art of scoring. His tenacity and obsession to succeed no matter what set him apart from his peers.

There are multiple occasions where Kobe went on an offensive onslaught all by himself. However, the pinnacle of his onslaughts came on 21st December 2005. In a matchup vs the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant unleashed his full potential.

He started the game hot, draining jumper after jumper, and finding his way to the hoop at will. Bean managed to score his then career-high 62 points in just 3 quarters of play.

As impressive as this feat is, the legend of the tale lies in the fact that 62 was one more than the entire Dallas Mavericks team. In addition, Bryant had an efficient night, netting 58% of his shots and 40% from beyond the arc.

The lesser-known fact is that this was a revenge game from Kobe. The Lakers lost to the Rockets in a low-scoring thriller a couple of days before. “I was very angry, I felt like I wanted to come out and send a message, that we’re going to dominate at home,” he said. “We’re going to hit you, we’re going to bring it to you. I wanted to send that message.”

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Kobe Bryant had a real shot at breaking the all-time record for most points scored in a single game.

The Lakers led the game at the end of 3 quarters with a scoreline of  95- 61. Then Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw asked Kobe if he wanted to play the fourth quarter and get 70 points. Even the crowd chimed in, screaming ‘We want Kobe’.

However, prime Kobe was not one for chasing records. Bryant replied to his coach – “I’ll do it when we really need it.” The Mamba didn’t just say those words, he meant it. He broke his career-high again in a couple of weeks, scoring 81 points to pull his team through.

Then Mavericks coach Avery Johnson had this to say about Kobe’s legendary night – “We tried to double-team him, we tried to zone him, we tried to trap him in the backcourt, and nothing worked. He had his way with us tonight.” Considering Kobe’s willingness to shoot and his team having a healthy lead entering the 4th quarter, he could’ve got to 100 if he put his mind to it.

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Putting the ball in the basket is undeniably the most essential part of the game. Regardless of era, this aspect will always remain immune to change. And Kobe Bryant mastered it. There is no measure to Kobe Bryant’s influence on the basketball community around the globe. Personally, he was the reason I continued playing basketball in a country dominated by cricket.