04/26/24
January 22, 2006
Kobe drops 81 for 2nd most in a game in history of NBA.: Brought them back from 18 down to become the highest scoring laker, passing baylor's 71, now only 2nd to wilt's 100 in nba history. amazing.
posted by ninjavshippo to basketball at 11:12 PM - 123 comments
Sure its 81 one points its amazing but lakers need to win games and get to what counts the nba championship. Not taking away from kobe he is amazing. besides Kobe needs this to build his image. GO LAKERS
posted by drewman911 at 11:31 PM on January 22, 2006
Unfortunately, as great as Kobe has seemed this year, The Lakers are still third in their division. This is not a great team. I'll reiterate Hal's sentiment, Kobe is self centered. They won the game tonight, which is very fortunate for Kobe. The thing that really worries me is that undoubtedly people are going to start "best ever" talk, which is a sentiment that is so obviously false to me.
posted by everett at 11:37 PM on January 22, 2006
This is an amazing accomplishment.
posted by dusted at 11:41 PM on January 22, 2006
Mamba goes wild! I saw the the Raptors were up 63-49 at halftime and thought they were in pretty good shape. I was quite surprised to see them lose by 18 let alone to see Kobe go for 81. Egads.
posted by gspm at 11:42 PM on January 22, 2006
I H-A-T-E Kobe Bryant, I despise him. I wish nothing but ill upon him. But I can't help but respect him, and this is a worthwhile accomplishment for him, and he deserves all the kudos. Yes, I will admit along with the other commenters, that Kobe is self-centered, but he's only self-centered because he doesn't have a decent team surrounding him. If I were a Lakers fan, I would be very happy that Kobe is self-centered. (Heck, there's some Cleveland fans who are wishing that LeBron was that egocentric.)
posted by uglatto at 11:44 PM on January 22, 2006
all i can say is wow!
posted by Barry-from-H-town at 11:44 PM on January 22, 2006
It was fun the way they entirely stopped calling travelling for him, and the raps had no choice but to foul him as he took increasingly ludicrous shots from wherever he found himself after his jogs around the floor.
posted by loquax at 11:51 PM on January 22, 2006
Hal - two points to make, in regards to your comments. First, Kobe shot an amazing rate from the floor tonight; I always feel that coaches should continue to feed the player with the hot hand. The second option, Lamar Odom, was 0 for 5 at one point late in the 4th quarter when he finally hit a three that was given to him wide open on an assist from a driving Bryant. Second, Shaq's not going to score 82, ever. Shaq won't score above 50 for the rest of his career - he's just not that into basketball, except in the 99 - 01 run, the first two of his three championships. Since then, he's gotten in progressively worse shape, been a bigger liability to his own continued health, etc. Big men historically drop off dramatically in their early 30s, and Shaq is 34; his off season conditioning this year was so poor that he injured himself a handful of games into the season & missed 18 games. It's not gonna get better for him, and that's a shame, to see such talent squandered. For my own part, I tend to like Kobe - he's a selfish bastard, and doesn't make other players around him better the way Steve Nash does, but at the same time, so was Michael. If Kobe had a second floor general (a Pippen) who was as solid a defensive player as Bryant is, comfortable deferring to Kobe on offense, and better at Bryant's areas of weakness (sharing the ball, setting up teammates, offensive rebounding), the Lakers would be a force to be reckoned with, even with the Spurs & the Pistons tearing up their respective conferences. The question is, who is that Pippen? Ron Artest? Kevin Garnett? I fear Los Angeles, in letting go of Jerry West, has squandered the GM skills it would take to acquire a Robin to Kobe's Batman, and we'll see several more years of phenomenal numbers & early playoff exits from the Bryant squad.
posted by jonson at 11:53 PM on January 22, 2006
loquax: interesting point. I've always noticed Kobe's been granted a certain latitude with that third step, a few players in the league get that courtesy and it always drives me bonkers. jonson: Well don't get me wrong: it's a heck of an accomplishment in any light; after all, Wilt put up some of those 50+ point seasons playing for a weak 76ers team, while Russell quietly put up his 20/15 type numbers every night and got 11 rings in 13 years. The "greatest team ever" Celtics of that period had not only Russell but 6 players who averaged double figures a night (think about it- 6 players averaging double figures, when you only have 5 starters by definition?). Kobe is looking to fall into the trap of many talented players, and not realize what the Jordans- yes Jonson, Jordan did make his teammates better- and even the Shaqs have learned about success on the court. If you look at the last two games before this one, Kobe's put up 37 points and 51 points- both of which were Lakers losses. In Lebron James's last game, he put in 51, but his Cavs won. And I was kidding about the Shaq thing, of course; meant it as a joke on their rivalry that still burns fierce from what we can see. When his career is over, Kobe'll have some great numbers, but probably no more rings from here on out. Sadly, as everett points out, he'll be bandied about in "best ever" conversations thanks to the rings he does have which came largely on the shoulders of the big man. But even if LA finds a good complement to his scoring abilities, Kobe probably won't have the humility to lessen his personal numbers in favor of more wins. Everything I see says the best player in the NBA for this time period will probably be regarded as Lebron. Hell, Lebron's all of 20, and his team has a slightly better record than Kobe's, and across the board he's putting up better numbers than Kobe (except in the PPG, but both are over 30).
posted by hincandenza at 11:58 PM on January 22, 2006
loquax: interesting point. I freely admit I was mostly speaking as a bitter raps fan. But still, my goodness, it was like he was a running back out there.
posted by loquax at 12:00 AM on January 23, 2006
I know- the refs should have been suspicious when Kobe put up more yards than Steve Smith! barump bump
posted by hincandenza at 12:11 AM on January 23, 2006
This game was for Kobe and the Fans! When Kobe scored 62 last month against Dallas, he sat out the entire 4th and all anyone could ask was why he didnt play and what he could of scored if he had! Well, that game was a blowout, but this one tonight was not! So when Kobe passed his own record, you can bet that the fans and everyone else WANTED to see what he could do. No one could stop him on Toronto. And we saw that what Kobe can do is the best anyone could ever do. LeBron will NEVER see a game like this unless it is in a blowout or triple OT!. Kobe did this when his team needed him and once he passed the Laker record all everyone in Staples Center wanted to see is him get 80. They deserved it, Kobe deserved the chance and so did the Laker organization! It was entertainment and that is what this game is about. Otherwise no one would even bother to show up for losing teams games. People want a show. They got one!
posted by bluekarma at 12:17 AM on January 23, 2006
all I see is Kobe haters. LeBron, the best??? He hasn't won anything yet! He has a slightly better record at this moment? Big freaking deal! He may never win a title either! BUt that doesn't mean he can't try to be the best palyer he can be. Kobe isn't a facilitator like Magic or Larry Bird. He is a scoring machine and he also plays pretty good defense. Kobe had to live ithe shadow of Shaq(who also will not win another title mostl likely!), and when Shaq got all the credit, it wasn't right. Kobe deserves the right to do great things. Yea, it's a team game, but sometimes when you have the mojo going, you let it go for all it's worth. Kobe put on a show no one will forget. Did they call Wilt selfish when he dropped 100????? Or when Elgin dropped 71??? I doubt it. This Laker team isn't good enough to win a title. But the Staples Center seel out every game and the fans love their #8. It's entertainment. Bash away, I still admire Kobe. Many hated MJ too. I doubt any of you bashers has the skill to do anything athletic! Probably bowlers or golfers! LMAo!
posted by bluekarma at 12:25 AM on January 23, 2006
Kobe is looking to fall into the trap of many talented players, and not realize what the Jordans- yes Jonson, Jordan did make his teammates better RU freaking kidding me..us??? Jordan did NOT make his teammates better until he got some BETTER teammates! How can you make marginal players better? If you can't hit a shot, you can't hit a shot!!! When Jordoan got Pippen and Kerr and Paxson and Rodman..he started to win titles but that is NOT because he made those palyers better because in fact they were already really good players! People seem to forget that Kobe isnt playing with very good players right now. Lamar Odom is decent but a headcase. How stupid and naive for some people suggest that Kobe doesnt make the other players around him better! He can't will the ball into the basket for someone else! Get a clue! Jordan won nothing until he got a good supporting cast around him. Kobe is a very talented and smart player but he is working with mostly stiffs!
posted by bluekarma at 12:33 AM on January 23, 2006
sorry about so many post but you all got me fired up with your Kobe hating!
posted by bluekarma at 12:36 AM on January 23, 2006
81 points great...... AGAINST THE RAPTORS .....lets see him put up 80+ against one of the top devensive teams in the league AND win the game and then maybe ill give him sum credit i could score 80 points if i had 40 wide open shots and refs not calling travels and offensive fouls left and right(creating space with his free arm)kobe gets away with that more than anybody in the league i really seriously think this is all a conspiracy to try and boost ratings for a sport that i LOVE but isnt as popular as it was in the jordan era.....GO WOLVES
posted by humans1 at 12:37 AM on January 23, 2006
humans1 - no you couldn't.
posted by jonson at 12:42 AM on January 23, 2006
I can't help but wonder why they compare scoring records straight up when now there is a 3 point shot. Kobe hit 7 so without the 3's he had 74. Now Wilt wasn't throwing up 3's in his 100 but how many might Baylor have made the night he scored 71? Just a thought.
posted by gfinsf at 12:45 AM on January 23, 2006
Been a tough weekend for youse Toronto fans. First the Leafs lay a seven-pound egg in Ottawa, now this. Fortunately, pitchers and catchers is right around the corner!
posted by DrJohnEvans at 01:09 AM on January 23, 2006
jonson- i could. u can argue all u want about the authenticity of this amazing feat, but there is no questioning that it is amazing. im still in disbelief about it. scoring 81 points in two games is thought of as having two great games. he did it in one. with both baylor and wilt's highest-scoring games, they were their team's offense. u baisically have to be to score that many points. kobe will never be as good as jordan in my mind, but he is the closest iv ever seen of heard of, selfish ego-maniac or not.
posted by 15yroldkid at 01:10 AM on January 23, 2006
The greatest player of all time! 81 points Kobe just keeps going he never seems to get tired. This guy could play a double header. A great defender, shot blocker, rebounder, and passer let alone the greatest outside shooter of all time. Just give him his due. Babe Ruth, Jerry Rice, and Kobe Bryant.
posted by jhirth at 01:22 AM on January 23, 2006
selfish or not he might be the best player in the league now and i'm a t-mac fan so i hate to say that... but very few players in the league could do this even if they set out with this one singular goal in mind and had the cooperation of their team mates... the sad thing is the lakers still won't make any noise in the playoffs just like t-mac was in orlando and kg was in minnesota... he just doesn't have any help and not even kobe can do this enough to salvage a season... and as for being self centered he averages 4.3 assists a game although thats not a great number its pretty good considering the pathetic lack of talent surrounding him
posted by thomaspearce34 at 01:27 AM on January 23, 2006
wow! kobe's hot! Egomaniac? self-centered? Whatever... He did it. Kudos to Kobe.
posted by eagleheart_96 at 01:32 AM on January 23, 2006
It was huge, just don't call him a passer. He is getting under 4 assts per game. 81 points is a great accomplishment. His shooting percentage was great as well. There is a lot of hating going on here though. He is averaging 35.9 pts a game this season. MJ didn't even do that. I'm not a fan, but it was a nice performance. If Larry Bird scored 81, celtic fans would use that as an excuse to say he was the 2nd greatest player ever. Kobe gets 81 and he is self-centered. ouch.
posted by BlogZilla at 01:46 AM on January 23, 2006
"When Jordoan got Pippen and Kerr and Paxson and Rodman..he started to win titles but that is NOT because he made those palyers better because in fact they were already really good players!" Dude, look at some stats first. Once MJ left the game, did you hear ANYTHING out of any of the above-mentioned players? Rodman is the only one who did anything of note without MJ, and it should be noted that MJ won his first few titles WITHOUT Rodman. And he won a title because STEVE KERR WAS ADDED TO THE TEAM? Please. They put talent around him and he made them into basketball players. As soon as his court guidance left, none of these guys did a thing. Unless you count Pippen pulling over those sheets in anger when the Blazers went down in the playoffs again.
posted by Masked at 01:47 AM on January 23, 2006
------------Kobe------Lebron PPG:-----34.8---------31 FG%-----.445---------.493 A:----------4.3----------6.2 R:----------6.7----------5.6 St:---------1.6----------1.3
posted by everett at 02:02 AM on January 23, 2006
Uh... everett? I know we're kind of agreeing here, but you miiiight want to fire your data entry crew. :) You swapped Lebron's rebounds and steals with Kobe's in your short list, which makes it seem like Kobe had the lead in 3 of 5 categories. The real stats show Lebron leading in 4 of those 5 categories (FG%, AST, REB, STL) and only trailing in PPG by a pretty small margin. To be accurate, then, here are the actual numbers acc. to ESPN. The top line is Kobe, the bottom line is Lebron. I have conveniently highlighted the areas where Lebron leads Kobe. Lebron leads Bryant in 9 categories to 4. You'll notice I chose not to highlight the FGM/A, 3PM/A, and FTM/A categories because those are more attempts taken than productive stats, and in the 3PM/A group Lebron has only one fewer (65) to Kobe's (66), making it a toss-up. Even if I did highlight them (and in two of the cases, Kobe has more total FG and 3PT due to taking far more attempts, but at the expense of a lower percentage), Lebron still leads in overall categories.
| Player | G | GS | MIN | FGM-A | FG% | 3PM-A | 3P% | FTM-A | FT% | OFF | DEF | TOT | STL | BLK | TO | PF | AST | PTS |
| Bryant | 38 | 38 | 40.4 | 461-1036 | .445 | 66-198 | .333 | 333-399 | .835 | 1.2 | 4.4 | 5.6 | 1.29 | .45 | 3.00 | 2.92 | 4.3 | 34.8 |
| James | 38 | 38 | 41.8 | 417-845 | .493 | 65-184 | .353 | 278-374 | .743 | 0.8 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 1.55 | .84 | 3.24 | 2.42 | 6.2 | 31.0 |
posted by hincandenza at 03:00 AM on January 23, 2006
I'd also point out that Lebron's 6.2 AST per game leads all small forwards, which is technically his position, and is 16th overall- meaning he's a small forward that makes for a pretty good point guard. Kobe's 4.8 puts him 33rd overall, and only 7th among shooting guards. Granted, neither guy or position is meant to be racking up assists, but James' lead in rebounds and assists shows he's a more solid player than Bryant, in terms of team involvement and non-shooting activity. Bryant's a scoring machine when he wants to be, but is one dimensional and I believe benefits from some soft ref'ing (to be fair, so did people like Jordan) that don't call what on most other players would be fouls or travels. I'd love to see a game where the refs called the travel rule just as it is in the book, and watch guys used to taking 3, 4 steps in the lane go ballistic. :)
posted by hincandenza at 03:10 AM on January 23, 2006
LeBron, the best??? He hasn't won anything yet! Give him shaq in his prime and you might have a reasonable point there.
posted by justgary at 03:25 AM on January 23, 2006
- lets not forget the bulls records in the years jordan was gone for baseball: 55-27 and 47-35. granted, the team was much better with him, but let's not be shortsighted. jordan had MUCH more talent then than kobe does now. without kobe, the lakers would be worse than the hawks and raptors. - i doubt kobe is the "best ever," but he's without a doubt the most prolific scorer since jordan and in that same upper echelon of player. - for those who say the feat is lessened by the fact that it was the lowly raptors, wilt scored his 100 vs. the knicks in 62, who went 29-51 that year. in that sense, the feats are comparable. the 3 point line difference is the only legit caveat i've read. - please don't crap on this accomplishment. lakers aren't winning a title. let us savor this without naysayers trying to take away from it. the fact is he cracked 80, only accomplished by one other player for whom they changed the rules of the game. the point of the game (when you're not going to win it all) is to entertain. if you saw this game, i don't think you can say you weren't entertained.
posted by ninjavshippo at 04:34 AM on January 23, 2006
i also meant to add that it's much harder to score that much as a perimeter player as opposed to a big man, especially with one who had the enormous physical advantage wilt had. higher percentage shots, no ballhandling duties, less movement on D.
posted by ninjavshippo at 04:43 AM on January 23, 2006
kobe's assists would go up if he had consistent shooters to dish it to. the pass does not equal the assist... around this time last year kobe was averaging 7 assists- with caron and chucky, the 2nd and 3rd in ppg for the lakers. now we have kwame who cant even catch the pass, and lamar who always follows a good performance with a horrible one. kobe is much better than lebron: he can finish. and when he doesnt, he surely makes his free throws. kobe=clutch. do any of you haters even watch laker games??
posted by tranzient at 05:20 AM on January 23, 2006
I think it was a historic accomplishment . It would be an even better one for the Lakers to compete in their Conference or play in the Finals but they wont . For the record , generally the team with the scoring leader doesn't win the championship , Jordan being the exception . Kareem Abdul Jabbar commented that it doesn't compare with Baylors . It depends on how you look at it , no they didn't have the three point shot then , but the players were not nearly as athletic then as they are now and the defense was no where as good then as it is now . It is still the closest to Wilt's 100 points that most of us are going to see in our lifetime . It took nearly 45 years to do that . Only four players have broken the 70 point mark in History and only a handful have scored 60 . (All of those who scored more than 60 points in a game are in the Hall of Fame except for one Adrian Dantley). No matter how you look at it , it was astounding . Now all that aside . Chauncey Billips for MVP . It's all about the TEAM .
posted by alvinthefirst at 05:27 AM on January 23, 2006
By the way they did call Wilt selfish when he hit the 100 . So much so that one season he cut his scoring nearly in half and led the NBA in assists for much of that season . Wilt was Wilt and there never will be another like him .
posted by alvinthefirst at 05:32 AM on January 23, 2006
the way i see it, the mvp award should go to the player whose team wouldnt be sh*t without him- making him the most VALUABLE player, correct? how bad would detroit be without chauncey?
posted by tranzient at 05:36 AM on January 23, 2006
kobe for MVP.
posted by tranzient at 05:38 AM on January 23, 2006
Wilt got 100 in a 165-147 game, and Kobe got 81 in a score of 122-104. Wilt's points were 68% of the opponent total; Kobe got 78% of Toronto's. Wilt needed 48 min., 63 FGA, and 32 FTA. Kobe got his from 42 min., 46 FGA, and 20 FTA. Kobe's game was greater than Wilt's best.
posted by mike goodman at 06:20 AM on January 23, 2006
Kobe had two assists , they didn't log assists in Wilt's day however Wilt had 51 rebounds , 32 free throws from the worst free throw shooter in the league and several blocked shots . Wilts all around game was much better , sorry averages aside Wilt played a total game .
posted by alvinthefirst at 06:59 AM on January 23, 2006
Thre's also three pointers to consider . Kobe would have had a 74 point game without the 3 something Wilt , David Thompson , David Robinson nor Elgin Baylor had the advantage of . Great and still legendary in this era , but no comparison because of the advantage of the 3 . It's a great accomplishment but don't diminish what Chambrlain did , he broke 70 10 times , and several times that very week .
posted by alvinthefirst at 07:07 AM on January 23, 2006
OH and the score was 169 to 147 not 165 .http://nbahoopsonline.com/History/wilts100.html
posted by alvinthefirst at 07:10 AM on January 23, 2006
Couple things - Kobe's game was without flaw. The Raptors were throwing zone, man-to-man, little guys, big guys, whatever they could at him and it made no difference. He was too fast, and deadly with the jumper. It was not merely a case of a bad defensive team (which the Raptors undoubtedly are) but of a player on a hot streak that one gets to witness once every 30 years. And the rest of the Lakers couldn't hit water even if they fell out of a fucking boat. Selfish my ass, that's a special player on his most special night. And I agree with Mike - Kobe's game is statistically more impressive that Wilt's - and extraordinarily tough to do as a shooting guard. Wilt played a "total" game because he was a centre. Even Jordan suggested that it was way more difficult for a perimeter player to get 100 because you have to run the whole floor and play peremiter defence. Wilt could stand around for days. I think Kobe's is the more impressive because of the range he had and the position he plays.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:17 AM on January 23, 2006
2 assists for guard ?? 6 rebounds ? He scored that's ALL he did . Wilt would have had a quadruple double if they had logged all of the stats for that game . Kobe had a great game but it doesn't compare . Take the threes away and you have an average game . Darrell Imhoff was nearly 7 feet as well so the excuse that Wilt had no one to guard him is dead is dead in the water . That season Wilt AVERAGED 51.4 points a game . Kobe is no Wilt .
posted by alvinthefirst at 07:39 AM on January 23, 2006
Someone wrote that Jordan never averaged as high as 35.9, but of course he did (37.1). I erred in the score of Wilt's game, but I was really comparing his points to his opponents'. And I should have said 'Kobe's scoring was greater', rather than 'Kobe's game...' My bad. Still: If Kobe doesn't get 3 points for a 24-footer, does he still shoot 13 of them? I kinda doubt it. Since he hit .636 from inside the arc (21 of 33), he could be expected to make 8 of 13 additional 2's, for 16 pts. If he gets fouled a few times more, he scores even more. I don't see how it makes any knowable difference in his Pts/Attempts. Of course they counted assists in 1962 (since 1949, at least). Says here Wilt averaged 2.4 in '62 (along with 39.5 FGA): http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chambwi01.htm Now I'm curious whether Kobe can carry his newly 'like Mike' game to the playoffs.
posted by mike goodman at 07:47 AM on January 23, 2006
kobe is the most selfish player ever. isn't he the reason the lakers no longer have shaq??? that is selfishness and that is the reason he doesn't have a solid team around him. kobe doesn't want a solid team around him. he wants to be the only good player on the team. with shaq, he would still be winning championships but kobe is too selfish to share the spotlight. being a team player goes beyond the assist column. kobe no longer wants to be a part of a team, he wants to be an individual. he wants to score 81 points in a game so that people will talk about HIM and not his team. this is what HE wanted and what the lakers allowed him to do by trading shaq in order to keep kobe. so kobe, the lakers organization, and the lakers fan- enjoy the show.
posted by volnut05 at 08:14 AM on January 23, 2006
Take the threes away and you have an average game . Take the threes away, turn them into twos and he has 74 points. Take them all away and he has 60. Yep, totally average. C'mon guys - you may hate Kobe with a passion, and hell, there are some reasons that have merit, but give credit where credit is due. If it was just selfishness that leads to games like this, I'm sure we'd see a lot more of them. I mean Wilt average 51 a game that year. Is he a selfish bastard, too? I mean, do you think his teammates hated him? What about Bird the night he was still hitting threes in the fourth quarter of the game at the Garden in '86 (I believe) of a blowout because he was after the Celtics all-time record for points in a game? Selfish bastard, too? All the fans booing him with every touch and calling him a ball hog and a showing up the other team? I think the answer to these questions are nope, nope, na-uh, no, and no way. Guys, that's NBA basketball. Learn it, live with it, love it.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:11 AM on January 23, 2006
I give him credit and that is surely the SECOND best scoring game in NBA History it's not 100 but it's the closest thing to it since March 2 1962 / 44 years . Kobe is ONE of the greatest of his era . Wilt was the greatest in his era and Jordan in his . This era ? Time will tell . Kobe , Lebron , none of the above ? We will see . I like Kobe and would like to see him continue to grow as a player .
posted by alvinthefirst at 09:26 AM on January 23, 2006
Meanwhile, the Pistons, who haven't had a scorer over 40 this season, are 33-5...
posted by MeatSaber at 09:31 AM on January 23, 2006
Lets put things in context: When Elgin Baylor scored 71 there was no three point basket! Did anyone count the number of 3s that Kobie got, if you did subtract that number from the 81, if it is less than 71, it gets an *. Elgin was the definition of a "Team" player, remember he took early retirement to make room on the Lakers roster in order to help them win their first LA title.
posted by westcoast at 09:54 AM on January 23, 2006
Too many haters in this thread and elsewhere on the Web where this is being discussed. I don't like Kobe "the man" but Kobe "the player" is unquestionably the best right now. You don't have to like it or admit it. Doesn't change reality. I saw the game (of course, since I would have to be in a coma to miss a Raptors game). Kobe did what he had to do to get the win for his team. He didn't start scoring for the sake of padding his own points until late in the fourth quarter. It makes me laugh to see people hate on him for not passing more. Have you seen his teammmates? The third best player on the Lakers is Smush Parker. Who? Exactly. "Kobe should make his teammates better," some people say. Let me assure you that Steve Nash or Jason Kidd or Tim Duncan or anyone else could not help that team any more. Replace Kobe with Michael Jordan in his prime and MJ would take just as many shots. Lamar Odom ain't Scottie Pippen by a long shot. It was painful to watch and I still think Kobe is a scumbag but I don't have to hang out with the guy. He's a legend. Jerry Buss picked the right horse.
posted by Scott Carefoot at 10:08 AM on January 23, 2006
the rings he does have which came largely on the shoulders of the big man. I think what this is starting to show is that Shaq won his rings on the shoulders of the Bryant. You know, I can understand why Kobe despised Shaq. Kobe has more basketball skill in his little finger than Shaq has in his whole body. Shaq was just born twice as big as everyone else. And don't forget, Shaq didn't win any championships without Kobe. Shaq was on the way to becoming one of the most disappointing big men ever, because of his playoff chokes, before Kobe showed up.
posted by Mike McD at 10:19 AM on January 23, 2006
Why is Kobe so polarizing? Couple things - Kobe's game was without flaw. The Raptors were throwing zone, man-to-man, little guys, big guys, whatever they could at him and it made no difference. He was too fast, and deadly with the jumper. It was not merely a case of a bad defensive team ? I was just listening to "the herd" on espn radio and a reporter from toronto was saying they weren't playing defense at all. That they never tried to double team and that it was a worthless defensive performance. Wish I would have seen the game. Defense or not 81 is amazing.
posted by tron7 at 10:49 AM on January 23, 2006
I wonder if Kobe will Celebrate with his WIFE this time? In Colorado perhaps? Or did we all forget what a quality individual we are talking about here regardless of his on the court accomplishments? Its sad that this is the most popular post simply because Kobe doesn't deserve to be talked about at all. Ever.
posted by MackBrown24 at 10:51 AM on January 23, 2006
I wonder if Kobe will Celebrate with his WIFE this time? In Colorado perhaps? Or did we all forget what a quality individual we are talking about here regardless of his on the court accomplishments? Its sad that this is the most popular post simply because Kobe doesn't deserve to be talked about at all. Ever Get over it. He cheated on his wife, not on you. This is a popular post but it's populated mostly by Kobe haters. The guy scored the second most points in NBA history!
posted by tron7 at 11:03 AM on January 23, 2006
i'm not trying to take away from kobe scoring 81 points. that didn't make him selfish. he made over 50% of his shots and obviously was the reason his team won that game. if you are shooting that high of a percentage, keep shooting. he had the second best scoring game ever and earned it with his shooting ability. yes he took 46 shots, but hell, he made 28 of them. if i could do that i would be playing in the nba. so hats off to kobe for THAT game but not for being an overall teammate. my stand on kobe proving how selfish he is hangs on the fact that he brought his team and the entire lakers organization down by forcing shaq out. instead of being talked about as a dynasty right now, the lakers are struggling to make the playoffs.
posted by volnut05 at 11:30 AM on January 23, 2006
Get over it. He cheated on his wife, not on you. Tron- Do you really think that 18 year old girl in Colorado was Kobe's original sin? C'mon the guy is as much of player off the court as he is on, and that was the point of my post. Not to applaud those who don't deserve our respect.
posted by MackBrown24 at 11:42 AM on January 23, 2006
PassingJudgementOnThe PersonalLivesOfPeopleYou'veNeverMetFilter is two sites to the right- this one is SportsFilter. There is no credible evidence that Kobe "forced" Shaq out either- all that is gossip that has become accepted as truth because it sounds like a good story. Mitch Kupchak is a jackass who wouldn't give Shaq a new contract. And the Lakers could have easily won 4 out 5 titles and kept the dynasty going if they had signed one young, athletic player who wanted to contribute- rather than old, slow and egotistical Malone and Payton. And for God's sake, the man forced out Phil Jackson and then seriously considered offering the job to Mike Kryshewski!
posted by drjimmy11 at 12:12 PM on January 23, 2006
isn't he the reason the lakers no longer have shaq??? The disharmony was not one-sided. Neither could get along with the other. Buss & Kupchak had to make a choice. As much as I preferred Shaq's personality, I'd have to say they made the best basketball decision they could have made. Shaq is approaching the end of his career, his conditioning sucks (he only got in shape to go to Miami), and he has a lot more quality competition in the middle than he used to -- which all points to his days of dominance being over. Kobe, on the other hand, is just starting to peak. Kobe can be extremely selfish, but earlier in the year, he was making great efforts to step up his team play, take fewer shots, pass the ball, etc. It worked pretty well for a little while, but his teammates, for the most part, are too incosistent right now. Lots of young players who are new to the league (aside from Kobe's 9 years, Aaron Mckie is the most experienced at 11, but he's only played 10 games this year -- no other player has more than 6 years). So you can kind of see why he has trouble trusting the other 4 on the floor.
posted by cybermac at 12:14 PM on January 23, 2006
And now Kwame can brag about the time he and Kobe combined for 84 points against Toronto.
posted by joaquim at 12:17 PM on January 23, 2006
Whether its being selfish or not, it is probably true that only a handful of players in history could drop 80+ points in a single NBA game regardless of the opponent. I think this is especially interesting because of the column on ESPN.com (which I now can't find back for the life of me... also because I'm lazy and not an "Insider") a week or so ago about the Dallas game where he scored 62 and sat out the 4th quarter. The columnist argued, and I agree, that he should have gone for 80 that night. The gist of the reasoning being that, if you're Kobe Bryant, you're not there to make your teammates better(say what you will about his current teammates but I don't recall him leading the league in assists when they were winning championships a few years ago and he was surrounded by talent. In fact, a quick glance at is career numbers shows that his assists were only slightly higher than they are this year) you are a scorer and as a scorer you shouldn't let historic opportunities slip by. In 10 years, nobody's going to remember the Dallas game where he could have gone for 80+ but didn't because he wanted to be a good-sport (whatever that means...). What they will remember is the game that he did drop 81 on the Raptors. If I had his skills, I'd keep scoring until they stopped me (5 on 1 maybe???). And if you're going to tell me you wouldn't, you are a better man that I. Why not go for the history books? And for the record... No I'm certainly no Kobe fan on or off the court
posted by srw12 at 12:19 PM on January 23, 2006
Tron- Do you really think that 18 year old girl in Colorado was Kobe's original sin? C'mon the guy is as much of player off the court as he is on, and that was the point of my post. Not to applaud those who don't deserve our respect Your making alot of assumptions about the character of someone you don't even know. I don't mean to make light of infidelity but he made a mistake, move on. This story is about an amazing ON COURT feat, not about what a stand up guy he is. Oh and you only mention that she's an "18 yr old girl" to portray Kobe as predatory.
posted by tron7 at 12:20 PM on January 23, 2006
And now Kwame can brag about the time he and Kobe combined for 84 points against Toronto. Brilliant!
posted by grum@work at 12:20 PM on January 23, 2006
And now Kwame can brag about the time he and Kobe combined for 84 points against Toronto. Reminds me of Ed Nealy, who called his mom after Jordan's 69 point game, and told her that he and Jordan combined for 72 poits...
posted by MeatSaber at 12:24 PM on January 23, 2006
And now Kwame can brag about the time he and Kobe combined for 84 points against Toronto. ROFL joaquim....
posted by smithers at 12:24 PM on January 23, 2006
I don't particularly like Kobe Bryant, but this was an absolutely outstanding moment in history. We should not make excuses for why he was able to do it. Him being selfish is why they have the record that they do, which is a decent 22-19. Nobody said Wilt was a selfish bastard. He just knew how to score, in more ways than one. Back to Bryant, he shot 60%, made 7 threes, and had 55 in the second half. Every minute that he was on the floor, he scored 2 points. THATS RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME. Kobe has shown me the best scoring performance in my lifetime so far, I thank him, and I wish more of you realized how amazing this really is. AND KEEP WATCHING, cause he could do it again.
posted by Snikastyle at 12:58 PM on January 23, 2006
I keep seeing all this talk about "Kobe, the best ever..." Please, Kobe Bryant couldn't hold Michael Jordan's jock. Jordan was the best ever. Kobe is a ball hog in a game where nobody plays defense. That is why most college games are around 80 points and pro games are 95+. When you get drafted you forget how to play defense.
posted by mcstan13 at 01:20 PM on January 23, 2006
Getting tired of all this damn Kobe crap. Kobe reminds me of 1 person and that is Allen "I don't pass" Iverson!!! Way to go non team player or ball hog whatever you choose... GO PISTONS
posted by ajpurdue at 01:22 PM on January 23, 2006
I keep seeing all this talk about "Kobe, the best ever..." hm well that wasn't in this thread, but you couldn't be bothered to read anyone's else's thoughts. Getting tired of all this damn Kobe crap. Kobe reminds me of 1 person and that is Allen "I don't pass" Iverson!!! Way to go non team player or ball hog whatever you choose... GO PISTONS here's an idea: read the rules... This site is not a place for trash-talking fans to repeatedly proclaim that their team rocks and someone else’s team sucks. then save the irrelevant keystrokes next time and just poke your own eyes out.
posted by ninjavshippo at 01:29 PM on January 23, 2006
That is why most college games are around 80 points and pro games are 95+. When you get drafted you forget how to play defense. Or it could be that your team plays 8 more minutes a game...
posted by MeatSaber at 01:32 PM on January 23, 2006
wasn't proclaiming my team rocks and another sucks but if you were thanks. just putting out there what i feel on kobe
posted by ajpurdue at 01:36 PM on January 23, 2006
Kobe is a great player and a gifted athlete. 81 points amazing. The object of the game is pro-basketball is to win the championship. The Lakers have opted for individual glory for Kobe and may have built a great showcase for one of the best players while sacraficing the team. Serves them right. They wil have the Kobe show while other teams will compete for the title. Just like the Detroit Lions had the Barry Sanders Show. The Miami Dolphins had the Dan Marino Show. The Colts have the Peyton Manning Show. The Bulls showed how the Michael Jordan show could not compete without the supporting cast. The Lakers will learn the same lesson. Maybe the titles of the past will last a few more years, but in time Los Angeles will tire of the Kobe Show and want to win again. Give me Magic Johnson anyday over that ego centric Kobe. Instead of 81 points how about a few triple doubles, and a championship.
posted by Atheist at 01:40 PM on January 23, 2006
Shaq took ofence to the remark Kobie made about Shaq getting away with the same thing that he was charged with. From that point on, there was disrespect and anger neither could overcome. So management had to choose which one would be more productive in the long run, they chose the younger. As to the remark about Shaq not having won another "ring", neither has Kobie!
posted by westcoast at 01:55 PM on January 23, 2006
Kobe should be MVP this year? Forget Dirk and Billups It should br Kobe I belive Kobe is better than Jordan?
posted by kobeB8 at 02:14 PM on January 23, 2006
The statement that the Lakers "opted for individual glory for Kobe" just isn't true. They had a franchise that had been successful, but developed chemistry problems. The only way to solve them was to divorce the incompatible players. They decided to keep the one they thought would be the greatest asset. Unfortunately, they weren't really in a good position to start a rebuilding. They had a lot of aging players who were ready to retire, weren't able to draft highly because of their success for several years, and had salary cap problems. I place the blame for the Lakers' predicament more on the GM's shoulders than Kobe's. The next couple of summers should bring some relief as far as salary cap and they might be able to attract a couple of good free agents. All things considered, I'd say their record is pretty good, and they should pull out a 6 or 7 seed in the playoffs, which would be a decent improvement over last year. That is why most college games are around 80 points and pro games are 95+. When you get drafted you forget how to play defense. Or it could be that your team plays 8 more minutes a game... ... and the level of the game is at a more elite level all around (players, coaches, trainers, etc.)... On preview: Kobe should be MVP this year? Forget Dirk and Billups It should br Kobe Agreed. Or maybe Iverson (could make a case for Pau Gasol, too). Dirk & Chauncey are great players, but their teams are already good. LA & Philly don't have a whole lot to work with, and Kobe & AI are the only reason their respective teams are keeping their heads above water. Currently, LA's better record suggests Kobe, but Iverson's been better all around, and a lot depends on how the teams finish.
posted by cybermac at 02:26 PM on January 23, 2006
How many over times in the Wilt 100? how many three pointres did he hit? How many 7 footers were there in the league then? Kobe is a stud, no doubt about that. But its just basketball. 81 points. Cool. They only won by 18. And it is Toronto... Lets put this in perspective. Pro basketball.... SUCKS!
posted by wassup at 02:34 PM on January 23, 2006
... and the level of the game is at a more elite level all around (players, coaches, trainers, etc.)... I understand that, I was just commenting on mcstan's math...80 points in 40 minutes played translates to about 95 (96 to be exact) in 48 minutes...
posted by MeatSaber at 02:37 PM on January 23, 2006
Sorry, if you misunderstood me, MeatSaber (can't write that without a chuckle), I was just trying to add to your argument, not disagree with it. I mostly thought that mcstan13's point was, well, not a point at all.
posted by cybermac at 02:54 PM on January 23, 2006
There's also a 24 second shot clock in the NBA; college is 35 seconds.
posted by mbd1 at 03:34 PM on January 23, 2006
An amazing individual accomplishment in a team sport. Not even Wilt was this selfish... His team fed him for a scoring title, he didn't just decide to take 75% of his teams shots. Sorry, but the Kobe I remember is the one who tried to hide behind his smile after he was caught raping a young girl and generally treating her like crap. The Kobe I know is the one Phil Jackson talked about as uncoachable... The player who couldn't get along with "3 more rings guaranteed O'Neal". What it really comes down to is if I was building a team from scratch, who would I take?? I'd take LeBron... Better teammate, better upside.
posted by LostInDaJungle at 03:58 PM on January 23, 2006
Please with all the Kobe bashing. To the travelling argument...someone show me film of Jordan dribbling, ever. Kobe took all the shots in the second half because nobody else could hit water falling out of a boat. If anyone BUT Kobe did this all the naysayers would be gushing about how he refused to lose the game, put the team on his back, and pulled out the win. I agree he should be in MVP consideration, and if the Lakers actually make the playoffs it should be a lock. Outside of Kobe, that team stinks on ice. Anyone who said they would have kept Shaq over Kobe (it was a two way street, plenty of blame to go around on why he left) at this point in their careers is insane. The real reason the Lakers are going nowhere is not Kobe but the (mentioned by jonson) fact they let go of The Logo.
posted by pivo at 04:48 PM on January 23, 2006
MVP! MVP! MVP!: Is Steve Kerr right? Did Kobe Bryant lock up the MVP trophy Sunday night with his performance? Does he deserve MVP of the league???
posted by Snikastyle at 05:03 PM on January 23, 2006
I think that I would've kept Shaq over Kobe. Not neccessarily because I think he is better, but because I feel like my team could accomplish more with him. Shaq's numbers will never be what they used to, but he is still making a huge impact. Nevertheless, KOBE BRYANT did something AMAZING, he should be the MVP if they can make the playoffs.
posted by Snikastyle at 05:09 PM on January 23, 2006
What happened to Phil Jackson's triangle. When Shaq was there thats all he preached and won rings. Now the only offence he runs is the Kobe and no play-offs......Phil is a turd that cried about Kobe to Shaq. Now that Shaq is gone he does not have any complaints about Kobe. Phil is just a butt kisser that lets the team superstars run his team. Phil is just there for the ride.
posted by Dallas at 05:30 PM on January 23, 2006
after he was caught raping a young girl Remind me when that was.
posted by yerfatma at 06:11 PM on January 23, 2006
Remind me when that was. A few days after "National Innocent Until Proven Guilty Week."
posted by rcade at 06:34 PM on January 23, 2006
kobe's assists would go up if he had consistent shooters to dish it to. the pass does not equal the assist Kobe reminds me of 1 person and that is Allen "I don't pass" Iverson!!! Some of you people really need to get your stats right. You don't know shit; SCORING: ...........GP MPG PTS FGM-FGA FG% 3PM-3PA 3P% FTM-FTA FT% 1KBryant 39 40.4 35.9 12.5-27.7 .452 1.9-5.4 .346 9.0-10.7 .838 2AIverson 40 43.2 33.4 11.8-26.0 .453 1.1-3.1 .366 8.7-11.2 .781 3LJames 38 41.7 31.0 11.0-22.2 .493 1.7-4.8 .353 7.3-9.8 .743 ASSISTS: .............GP MPG AST APG TO TOPG AP48M 8 AIverson 40 43.2 296 7.4 128 3.2 8.2 16 LJames 38 41.7 234 6.2 123 3.2 7.1 35 KBryant 39 40.4 167 4.3 117 3.0 5.1 STEALS: ............. GP MPG STL STPG STP48M TO TOPG PF ST/TO 6 AIverson 40 43.2 79 1.98 2.2 128 3.2 69 .62 18 LJames 38 41.7 59 1.55 1.79 123 3.24 92 .48 23 KBryant 39 40.4 52 1.33 1.59 117 3.0 112 .44 From NBA.COM as of 1/23/06 Allen "ball hog" Iverson is 8th in the entire league in assts. But he doesnt pass the ball right? He also gives the ball up TWICE as much as LJames and 4 times as much as Kobe making it far more harder to get his points. kobe's assists would go up if he had consistent shooters to dish it to. the pass does not equal the assist Dalembert, webber, korver are consistant shooters? Get it together. AI, even with his height disadvantage is better than both of them. Give AI Shaq in his prime and you have atleast 6 or 7 titles. Period!!!!!!!!
posted by BlogZilla at 06:39 PM on January 23, 2006
Wow, pure conjecture stated as fact. Emphatically, no less. Fantastic.
posted by cybermac at 07:04 PM on January 23, 2006
Besides, the cold stats are misleading. They don't take into account the position played, the surrounding talent, and the situation, such as last 5 minutes of the game. Saying Player A is better than Player B is almost always a purely subjective excercise.
posted by cybermac at 07:13 PM on January 23, 2006
yo, some of u might think kobe is the next jordan, or even lebron. But, u cant say that these players not only developed themselves, but developed the other players on the court with them like jordan did. jordan made everyone around him better. he didnt have to score the most points in a game to prove how good he was, he just needed to win games, which he did. look, he brought the bulls to 7 national titles. i dont see kobe doin that yet. and i cant say lebron will either. and hear this.... NOONE IN OUR LIFETIMES WILL EVER SEE THE NEXT JORDAN. SO DONT GO RAMBLING ON ABOUT THESE STUPID RECORDS, IT DOESNT MAKE THEM BETTER THAN HIM.
posted by siouxhocky at 08:42 PM on January 23, 2006
yo, asshat. stop yelling. no one said that. jordan had better talent around him. cybermac is right that this is subjective comparison but one thing remains fact. only one other guy's ever done this. for one night, kobe was the best. for the rest of his career, well that remains to be seen.
posted by ninjavshippo at 08:53 PM on January 23, 2006
everybody that is complaining about kobe bryant being self-centered has to shut up and stop crrying. Hes got no one around him that deserves to get the ball. also, don't blame these losses on him, they won that game didn't they?
posted by bronxbomber at 09:10 PM on January 23, 2006
I think Kobe's career may very well change how people view Shaqs carreer. My guess is that kobe spends this year and next crushing the scoring titles .. to prove his point that he's the best. He'll also learn that he needs help to win playoffs. With that settled, and the lesson learned, I think we'll see a kobe that's focused on winning rings .... and does win rings ... at which point Shaq will hopefully be remember as Kobe's first sidekick. p.s. his fg% still scare me though
posted by Mike McD at 09:11 PM on January 23, 2006
I am not a lakers fan either or anything but why all the kobe bashing???? "Raping a young girl" please man any professional athlete has women throwing themselves at them 24/7. It probably was consensual like he said but the girl saw an opportunity for $$$$$$$, and hemmed him up. Ball hog or not 81 points is incredible. What would people say if Nash put up those numbers??.....certainly not a ball hog but serious butt kissing would come right after. The MVP right now would be the best player on the best team, Billups. Not kobe or Lebron(although i enjoy watching the commercials) or anyone else.
posted by chuy at 09:13 PM on January 23, 2006
at which point Shaq will hopefully be remember as Kobe's first sidekick Never happen. Kareem is not remembered as Magic's sidekick. And Magic is not remembered as Kareem's sideekick. Two great players in their own right.
posted by Bill Lumbergh at 10:13 PM on January 23, 2006
My point with the stats was only to address the "does said player make the players around him better". Rebounds is not a category that could determine that. So I Offered assists as an example. AI has 296 assts thus far. Lebron has 234, Kobe has 167. AI has played only 1 more game than Kobe and 2 more games than lebron. Yet he has 62 more assts than Lebron and 129 more assts that Kobe. The offense runs through these players regardless of position. In the last 5 minutes of the game, its no secret who will have the ball. I just don't think the 8th best asst. man in the league should be called a ball hog. If he can manage to get his shots and still distribute the ball equally, there is no problem with that. Trust me, if AI had 5 more inches in height, and he decided to play a game where he would get ZERO assts. The NBA would have already seen another 100 point game. All that scoring and play making, and he is also in the top 6 in steals. Sure its a subjective opinion concerning who is an all around better player, but the numbers don't lie. AI takes almost 2 full shots less than Kobe per game and has nearly double the amount of total assts. If you cut his assts in half, he'd be getting 38ppg. In my opinion, I think a player that is 2nd in scoring, in the top 8 in assts, and top 6 in steals, is more valuable to a team then a person that leads 1 of the categories, and is no where to be found in the others. That signifies what an all around player is.
posted by BlogZilla at 11:15 PM on January 23, 2006
If anyone but Kobe had put up 46 shots, I mean scored 81 points, Phil Jackson would be on ESPN crying that an ASTERISK needs to be put in the record books because there is now a three point line. Yeah, great, you scored 81 kobe, now step aside while TEAMS who are actually competing for a championship continue their season. He doesn't have talent around him because nobody wants to play with him. If there were free agents out there the last couple of seasons who wanted to play with him they would have. What free agents this year will want to play with him?
posted by Red at 11:16 PM on January 23, 2006
no they wouldnt have red bc the lakers have no money under the cap sign free agents and won't have any til 2007. some of you need to consider facts before you spew nonsense.
posted by ninjavshippo at 03:41 AM on January 24, 2006
Phil Jackson would be on ESPN crying that an ASTERISK needs to be put in the record books because there is now a three point line. I'll ignore the fact this makes no sense and ask you to clarify two things: 1. Since when has Phil Jackson positioned himself as Holy Defender of the Record Books? 2. Why would ESPN give him the air time if he wasn't involved in the event?
posted by yerfatma at 05:41 AM on January 24, 2006
kobe can renogiate his contract so that they can affored players; besides, he should have thought of that before he forced shaq out; also other free agents took significantly less to play for title contenders this year, i.e. Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel- But Kobe is too selfish to take less money, plus he just wants to spend the next couple of years racking up stats so that people will consider him to be the best ever. Is he a great player? yes. Is he better than MJ? no. At this point I would take Lebron, Garnett, and Duncan over Kobe because they are better all around players who share the ball and arent concerned with how many shots they can put up in a game before their arms fall off. "Holy Defender" since the spurs knocked out his laker squad in the nba lockout year.
posted by Red at 08:43 AM on January 24, 2006
Kobe's 81 wasn't even the best performance of the year, or the month for that matter. I am a big USC fan, but Vince Young's performance in the greatest college football game of all time was amazing. To have his performance in a meaningless game against a meaningless opponent would have been incredible. But Vince had his performance in the National Championship game against one of the best teams of all time in USC....in their own stadium. Besides if AI, whom I'm not a fan of, TMAC, or Vince etc...., put up that many shots in a game they would equal, if not better the point output that Kobe did.
posted by Red at 09:35 AM on January 24, 2006
And let's not forget the Russian elections if we're judging great performances of the year! What drama, hijinks and fakery, as opposed to some guy running for a bunch of yards in a meaningless sport in a meaningless first-world country. Dissassembly is fun, no comrade?
posted by yerfatma at 11:34 AM on January 24, 2006
yerfatma's idiotic reply doesn't even warrant a response
posted by Red at 01:23 PM on January 24, 2006
But you gave it one anyway. I'll let the readers draw their own conclusions.
posted by cybermac at 02:03 PM on January 24, 2006
Spofi: yo, asshat. stop yelling. Slogan for year 5 I personally thought Scarlett Johansson's figure took top honors for best performance of the year, in any movie in which she appeared.
posted by garfield at 02:21 PM on January 24, 2006
yerfatma's reply gets full marks...and extra credit for the use of "hijinks".
posted by pivo at 02:31 PM on January 24, 2006
This is getting bad. Kobe scored 81 points in a game. IT WAS OUTSTANDING. There was nothing wrong with it, he was hot, so the team fed him. He played 41 minutes which is less than a couple of the other players on the floor. I would be in awe if this were to happen again, by another individual in this era of basketball. Iverson's high point game is 60, 24 of which were free throws. Kobe only had 18. Lebron's is 56, that's 25 less than Kobe, and he played 6 more minutes than Kobe. Can we just let Kobe have this moment in history.
posted by Snikastyle at 02:32 PM on January 24, 2006
i could not agree any more emphatically garfield. :O btw red, IF any of those things you speculated could happen ever happened, you'd have a something more than a sourpus, irrelevant post to contribute. here's some more thoughts you should consider. we call them facts. - garnett & finley make more $ than kobe. finley was waived using the 1 yr cap exception, so he just took next to nothing to play for a contender while the mavs still are on the hook for 18+ million. duncan makes the same amount as kobe. lebron will be making more than kobe when his rookie contract runs out - i really hope vince young is unselfish enough to take a miniscule salary in the NFL to help his teammates out. - 81 points on 46 shots is quite efficient. that involves math, so you might want to call your dad in the room to help.
posted by ninjavshippo at 02:41 PM on January 24, 2006
Sounds like your upset just because not everyone wants to hold Kobe's jock like you do ninja. Go buy yourself another Bryant jersey and throw in one of the Lakers championship DVD's- you won't be seeing another one of those for a awhile. Let me know if you need a math tutor.
posted by Red at 03:48 PM on January 24, 2006
if they win the nba title then it was a great thing.if they dont well it means he scored alot of points good for him.
posted by s-unit at 04:14 PM on January 24, 2006
i'm not asking you or anyone else to hold his jock. i'm just saying recognize it for what it was: an amazing scoring feat that we might not again see for a few decades and leave the other irrelevant stuff out of this thread. that's not kobe-fanboyism; it's just common courtesy. i wouldn't go to your thread about the time you fellated VY at a frat party and say "oh yeah? well duke is going to kick UT's ass this march!1!11!" criticize his teammates giving in to his one-man foray, or phil's leaving him in late into the fourth, or the raptor's complete defensive ineptness... anything supported by fact that shows that you're more than a dim bulb.
posted by ninjavshippo at 04:55 PM on January 24, 2006
posted by ninjavshippo to Basketball at 11:12 PM CST (110 comments total) Red this post is about basketball and since this is the second best scoring performance of all time then I'm sure it is the best of the year.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:07 PM on January 24, 2006
Not to stray to far off topic, but I have to say "fellated" definitely one-ups "hijinks".
posted by cybermac at 09:15 PM on January 24, 2006
incorrect, cybermac. Hijinks could be one upped by the likes of hullabaloo, tomfoolery, or the trump card: shenanigans, but not fellated. Not even the same league.
posted by pivo at 10:56 PM on January 24, 2006
"I'll pistol-whip the next man who says 'shenanigans'."
posted by yerfatma at 05:40 AM on January 25, 2006
Is that the restaurant with all the goofy shit on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?
posted by tron7 at 10:50 AM on January 25, 2006
I don't want a large Farva.
posted by yerfatma at 12:07 PM on January 25, 2006
Thats awesome but Iverson a chance He'll be the next Chamberlain
posted by Dav at 03:56 PM on January 25, 2006
uh oh
posted by willthrill72 at 04:15 PM on January 25, 2006
I'm sorry, but there is no way Iverson is the next Chamberlain. He'd have to sleep with 8 girls a day to catch up with Wilt.
posted by Snikastyle at 10:03 PM on January 25, 2006
shenanigans
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:14 PM on January 26, 2006
yo. assWIPE. stop making excuses. jordan did not have better talent around him. kobe had fox, fisher, payton, ONEAL. jordan had a low talented or any famous guys on the floor with him. y do you think i said jordan made everyone around him better. he didnt have to score the most points in a game to prove how good he was, he just needed to win games, which he did.
posted by siouxhocky at 07:31 PM on January 26, 2006
Pippen, Rodman, Kerr. Plus, Kobe didn't have those guys when he scored his 81 points did he?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:17 PM on January 27, 2006
This is literally the worst thread on the internet. I feel sad.
posted by dfleming at 09:09 PM on January 27, 2006
Impressive, but I've always wondered why this doesn't happen more often. Then it hit me that you pretty much have to be a Kobe to do this: self-centered. Not to diminish the accomplishment, but it's exceedingly rare to have the opportunity, since few coaches would even let a player get 46 shot opportunities... typically if a player is taking that many shots then something's gone wrong: either the rest of his team sucks that night, or he's being selfish. And typically when you're that hot you'll get double- and triple-teamed, and make the remaining players scores. I didn't see the game, so I wonder what the defense was doing as he was racking up points. Now, should we start a pool on when Shaq drops 82 points? :)