That Time When Kobe Bryant Scored 81 Points in a Game

After two quarters of the January 22, 2006 Lakers game against the Raptors, the 18,997 fans in the stands of the Staples Center were getting ready for another Laker loss when suddenly they became witnesses of a piece of history: Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, 55 points in the second half to total 81 points, the second-best scoring show of all times and the best in 44 years.

It was the re-run of the 2006 Lakers game airing on television and also when Kobe himself tweeted throughout the whole broadcast with a hashtag #countonkobe.

The broadcast aired with the following tweets on twitter as the Lakers 2006 game aired on television:

@NBA TV- Time to go, folks. Tune into @NBATV now and follow @kobebryant; he's watching his 81-point game for the first time. #COUNTONKOBE.

NBA partner TNT also encouraged viewers to tune in to both the replay and Kobe’s unique Twitter take.

@kobebryant- “I can't believe I've never watched this game till now”

@kobebryant- “Down 14, I'm heating up...at this point I wouldn't pass a kidney stone #countonkobe”

@kobebryant-  “After the 3rd quarter, @RealLamarOdom tells me "you can't get 60", then half way through he said "you can't get 70" #countonkobe”

@greaterthan-“ .@KobeBryant how lucky do u feel that @Scalabrine wasn't on the Raptors to D u up in this game? #WhiteMamba @nikebasketball #CountOnKobe”

@kobebryant- “.@DrinkGT @Scalabrine @nikebasketball the white mamba wasn't in the building but the red mamba was...Matt Bonner.”

@SHAQ-   “Watchin Kobe's historical 81 pt game. Question Kobe did u wake up and say I'm a hit 80 today,  jalens guarding me. #answermyquestionkobe”

@kobebryant- “.@SHAQ yep...lol”

This broadcast was one of the best events for NBA fans across the nations as history was made in that match. What’s more entertaining than having to watch the game with the champ and hear what he has to stay about that historic game? This was only possible thanks to social media and the internet. 

Who is better than Kobe Bryant?

 In the last couple of blogs, we covered some of the best Kobe Bryant’s career accomplishments. He is arguably one of the best in NBA history after Jordan and chamberlain just to name a few but who is better than Kobe Bryant? This could pass for a good argument. Sure he has the most points ever played in a single game along with other record breaking achievements but that may not be enough to be the best. In terms of playstyle such as passing, steals, slam dunks, and etc may also decide as a factor. So we ask your opinion on who is the best and explain why? We will discuss different opinions in the next blog post.

Some Interesting facts about Kobe Bryant

 If the MVP is supposed to be the best player on the best team, then Kobe Bryant will not get it this year. I think that the MVP should be awarded to the best player in NBA, period. Who is the player whose game is most complete, who cannot be guarded on offense and is an excellent defender as well? Is there another player in the NBA who can score 65 points in a game the way that Bryant has. Below posted are some of the interesting facts about Kobe Bryant.  (20 Second Timeout 2007)

ü  -The Lakers are now 11-4 during Kobe Bryant's career when he scores at least 50 points.

ü  -This was Bryant's third 60 point game. The only other players to have at least three 60 point games are Wilt Chamberlain (32), Michael Jordan (4) and Elgin Baylor (3). The complete list of players who have scored 60 points in an NBA game can be found here.

ü  -According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Bryant has scored 62 overtime points this season, more than anyone else in the NBA. Portland's Zach Randolph, who had six on Friday, is second with 49.

ü  -Kobe Bryant is now averaging 29.7 ppg for the season. Despite being slowed at the start of the season as he recovered from offseason knee surgery, he has now moved into a virtual tie with Carmelo Anthony in the race for the scoring title.  (20 second timeout 2007)

These are some of Kobe Bryant’s best achievement so far and who knows maybe he will outdone himself in the next oncoming seasons in NBA. 

Link to Kobe Bryant’s ESPN Page

For all Kobe Bryant’s fans, this blog covers the latest news on LA Lakers Kobe Bryant ESPN’s page and official website. Here you can find all of the latest season play offs score points, stats, player profile and more. Moreover, it’s also the NBA official news resource on the internet. There are other official websites that can also be counted on for latest news on Kobe Bryant like his official website kobebryant.com.

For all the latest on Kobe Bryant go to ESPN web link: http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/110/kobe-bryant

For official Kobe Bryant fan page:

http://kobebryant.com/

Among others, these are the two main resources on the web to keeping up on the latest on Kobe Bryant. ESPN also has the functionality to let you make an account on the website in order for you to get the notifications in your email or on your smartphones. Most of the fan base follows these two resources but if you happen to be a fan and are unaware of the links, you are welcome to bookmark the two pages in your browser.

How many Points Does Kobe Bryant score on average in a game?

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school, and has played for the Lakers his entire career, winning five NBA championships. Bryant is a 17-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He has led the league in scoring twice, and he ranks third on both the league's all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. (Wikipedia 2014)

Seasons played from 1996-99, Bryant's scored point on average more than doubled from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game. In the 2001–02 season, Bryant played 80 games for the first time in his career. He continued his all-round play by averaging 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. In the 2002–03 season, Bryant averaged 30 points per game and embarked on a historic run, posting 40 or more points in nine consecutive games while averaging 40.6 in the entire month of February. In 2007-08 play offs, Bryant became the youngest player (29 years, 122 days) to reach 20,000 points, in a game against the New York Knicks. Bryant is often cited as one of the most dangerous scorers in the NBA, and holds numerous scoring and shooting records including the second highest single game scoring performance with 81 points and the most single game three-pointers made with 12. (Wikipedia 2014)

Who Is The Best Basketball Player?

The world of basketball is very dynamic. Games are being played, players are being traded, and getting injured, setting records and the media glorifies it all. Above all this activity, there is great debate as to who is the best basketball player.

The best basketball player is solely based on opinion alone due to the fact that there is no clear answer. We can only declare the best in our minds. We can’t judge on championships. We also cannot judge based on stats. There are a diverse number of players to choose from, that it always works out that there is someone with more or less of any measurable trait.

 

Figure 14 – Off the Record Sports

In my opinion, the greatest player I have ever seen play is Kobe Bryant. As a child, I would watch Kobe on TSN and he was clearly a star. Still to this day, Kobe Bryant 2014 is still a star. Injuries aside, he can still put up around 20 points a game (ESPN, 2015). In addition, he has the championships to enhance the argument for being the best basketball player.

Figure 15 – Sport Absorb

This topic is entirely subjective. Now I ask the reader, who is the best basketball player?