Kobe Bryant scores 81 points!

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http://www.nba.com/games/20060122/TORLAL/recap.html



This is incredible, second to Wilt Chamberlains 100 in points scored in one game...

 

Amazing, does he plays alone?

By the way, was he found non-guilty for his rape case? How's that thing going? Or has it end?

 

Wow! That is an amazing feat, something even Jordan never accomplished. I don't know if that says something about Bryant's selfishness though seeing he had 2 assists to go with the points. But he still shot way over 50% and was 7-13 from beyond the arc. I just imagine how many points he would have had if he had a slick point guard like Steve Nash dishing him the ball.

 

@Sydax - the case has been over for over a year. The woman ended up dropping the charges (and seeing as how Kobe wasn't required to even pay her money to drop the charges, it certainly calls into question what really took place), so there ended up not even being a trial. Basically, no one will ever know what truly happened in that room beyond Kobe and that woman.

 

@Newfie
I don't think Kobe and Steve Nash would get along, as Nash likes to dish the ball around and involve all his team mates .

Kobe's trying to improve his tarnished image by playing for Team USA, but I actually hope they don't take him. I don't know if he could handle being part of a team of quality players.

Kobe is certainly no Michael Jordan and definitely no Wilt Chamberlain. The game that Wilt scored 100 in had a final score of 169 - 147! He scored less than 60% of his teams points. He attempted 63 field goals (remember, no three pointers in 1962) and hit 28 of 32 free throws. He also yanked down 25 rebounds and even had 2 assists!

By comparision, Kobe scored over 66% of his teams points and all he did was shoot. As a Guard, he had only 3 assists and only commited 1 personal foul. It's all nice to see someone light it up like that, but Kobe will always lack the one element that makes a Star a Superstar...the ability to make your team-mates better with your play. You can see it in guys like Jordan, Bird and Wilt...but Kobe just doesn't have it.

81 points...big deal. Take you're team to the playoffs and win (without Shaq) and then you've accomplished something

[ January 23, 2006, 19:46: Message edited by: Hacken Slash ]

 

Wow... Are you kidding? Kobe not a superstar? First of all, it is a common fact that Kobe can be a great team player when he puts his mind to it, but when he has inconsistent players on his team, and knows he can score at will, why should he pass up his scoring opportunities? He shot over 60% from the field in the game, and made 18 of 20 free throws. Wilt was a center with unmatched physical attributes, enableing him to dominate the smaller centers of the time. You say Wilt, unlike Kobe, made his team better, and was an unselfish player? Wilt was very selfish, not understanding the value of team play, even when he had the players for his team to be great. The only reason he led the league in assists one year was because he wanted to fill out his stat sheet.

The Lakers will make the playoffs this year, and Kobe is a strong MVP candidate. Kobe is already guaranteed a place at the Olympics roster. Furthermore, when Jordan won his championships, he certainly had the teammates to back him up (including one of the 50th greatest players of all time, Scottie Pippen). Kobe has nowhere near that skillfull players on his team, but he still manages to win games.

 

The reason why Jordan never accomplished such a feat, is that Jordan turned into a teamplayer, the ultimate teamplayer for that matter. If he would have continued to play like he did in his early years, he would have no doubt broken the 100 mark sooner or later, but the Bulls would have most likely never won 6 championships.

Now, Kobe's performance against the Raptors was absolutely topclass, but it says more about his teammates than it does about him. No doubt he felt his teammates weren't cutting it, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. Whenever Jordan scored 50 or more, the Bulls usually lost, which means Jordan felt he had to take charge because his teammates were letting him down. The Lakers won this time however, which also says a lot about the strength of Toronto.

Kobe wants to be in the spotlights ? Good for him, but one man alone has never won a crown, it was and always will be a team efford. Which is why the Lakers aren't going anywhere this year.

 

You can say whatever you want about Kobe being a team player or not; the man was in the groove and lit it up. Why should he pass the ball when he is in that kind of a groove? His teammates would not have done better if the ball was in their hands.

It's his team and he's their leader and he wants to win. You can say he did what he did for whatever reasons. His team WON. Granted it was against the Raptors and chances are he wouldn't score like that against a competitive team. Jordan did it lots of times.

Kobe is only young and his true potential hasn't been unleashed yet. Who's to say he won't end up doing what Jordan did, becoming a leader and making his teammates better? You are comparing a young Kobe to a blossomed Jordan. Jordan's stats are not totally unlike Kobe's at this point in his career. This guy got potential and it is silly to compare Jordan's career to Kobe's at this stage in the game.

[ January 23, 2006, 23:06: Message edited by: Newfie ]

 

I'm not comparing anything, Kobe did that himself by claiming that he's better than Jordan ever was. Of course that was when he was still playing with Shaq at his side and the lakers won three championships in a row. Even then that statement had me laughing out loud, and now that Shaq is gone, he's proving that he still has a long way to go to legitimately make such bold claims.

 

Kobe claimed he was better than Jordan ever was? I don't remember him saying that. Can you back this up with a reference? I would like to see that.

 

It was around the time Jordan played for the Wizards, i don't have an article of it right now, but they showed the article in question on TV here right before a match broadcasted by Canal+. I'll see if i can find something about it though, but you can take my word for it that he said it.

 

First...the reason that Kobe isn't surrounded by good players is due to his own ego. At one time he played with Shaq, Gary Payton and Karl Malone on a team coached by the Zen Master himself. That team was broken up due to Kobe's ego and need to "be the man". Jackson's back now, but with limited talent and cap issues, it may take years to rebuild the Lakers. The best thing for the Lakers future would be to trade Bryant now while his stock is at it's highest.

Second...the characterization of Wilt Chamberlain not being a team player is waaay off base. Just seek out comments made by those who played with him or against him...then try to find good comments about Bryant. Just listen to Bill Walton go on about Wilt as a mentor. Wilt Chamberlain is considered by most to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Hands down. End of issue.

Third...Kobe's been in the league for NINE seasons. He's no rookie. He's no youngster. I believe he had his 29th birthday just last week. At the end of Michael Jordan's ninth season...he had a handful of rings.

Kobe Bryant is a Star in the NBA, but to look at the full body of his career work I don't think he qualifies for Superstardom. Heck...he can't even lead his team to be the best in town.

[edit]I was wrong about Kobe's birthday. Looked it up and he turned 28 last August. The point I was trying to make is that he's got more years behind him than ahead of him.

From ESPN... an assortment of thoughts about Kobe scoring 81. Some of them do a better job of saying what I was trying to say.

[ January 24, 2006, 17:21: Message edited by: Hacken Slash ]