Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are arguably the top five greatest scorers in NBA history. While KD is a different specimen, shooting like a guard, despite standing at nearly 7ft tall, Bryant was perhaps the most skilled player in the league. Some time ago, Durant was on the Knuckleheads Podcast with Quentin Richardson & Darius Miles. During his appearance, the NBA superstar opened up on his experience of the night Kobe dropped 81 points in a game. Recalling the game, Durant said the ‘Black Mamba’s performance made him the greatest he’d ever seen play.
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For the next generation of basketball players, the Los Angeles Lakers star represented something bigger than himself. He was the embodiment of ‘hard work pays off’ and never cheated the game at any level. He had the heart and dominance of a lion, along with the mental tenacity to match. He was an unrivaled student of the game, who inspired countless future NBA greats like Kevin Durant.
Kevin Durant recalls the night he watched Kobe Bryant drop 81 points on the Raptors
In January 2006, Bryant scored 81 points with his grandmother in attendance, a performance likely spurred on by his will to show just how good he was, to his family. At the same time, staying up late, a high school Kevin Durant watched the game. Recalling the historic night, the former Brooklyn Nets player said Bryant became his GOAT after that very game. Going against the best defenders in the league, it seemed like Bryant was out there proving a point. This is what KD said;
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“I watched the 81-point game live. When he got to cooking in that night I was like ‘This is the greatest player I have ever seen’. I really thought that night. He is shooting fades, he is coming into the lane, stopping a dime, give you two pump fakes. Like all the best defenders that I heard of, he was really going right at them. Kobe was like ‘You ain’t getting the Kobe stopper name.’”
To this day, the 81-point game against the Raptors is recognized as the second-highest scoring game ever by a single player, only falling to Wilt Chamberlain’s famous 100-point game. It didn’t matter who Toronto was putting on Kobe, he had answer after answer. Being one of his primary defenders on the night, Jalen Rose is still recovering from that famous beat-down.
Kobe says he couldn’t figure out KD’s weaknesses before retiring from the NBA
The respect between Bryant and Durant was mutual. In a conversation with A-Rod and Big Cat, Bryant once opened up that Durant was the toughest player he ever had to guard. However, he also admitted his belief that if he hadn’t retired, he could’ve figured Kevin out. Pointing to KD’s initial weaknesses, the five-time NBA champion said that the former initially couldn’t go right and shoot, turn left shoulder, and often shot across his face.
Bean added that with time, the Phoenix Suns player started to change his game. According to the former league MVP, he could force the ‘Slim Reper’ to take uncomfortable shots and tough finishes at the rim before. But later, KD developed his game. “He can pull up left, he can pull up right, he can shoot the long ball, he has runners, left hand, right hand,” Bryant said complimenting offensive prowess.
Bryant’s death was not only a loss to the NBA fans, and his family but to the next generation of players, who could have reaped a lot from him. Rest in peace, the Black Mamba.
