“Not even in my dreams,” Bryant said after scoring an incredible 81 points on Jan. 22, 2006.
Sep 30, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers retired jersey No. 24 of Kobe Bryant at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The month of January is full of emotions for Kobe Bryant fans. The NBA legend died on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash in California. However, Kobe Bryant’s 20-year career was punctuated by extraordinary performances, and this month remains marked by his historic feat.
On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, making NBA history. The Los Angeles Lakers legend guided his team to a 122-104 victory over the Raptors. It was one of the most incredible moments in NBA history.
Former Lakers owner Jerry Buss described this game against the Raptors as “a miracle in the making”. According to the NBA, Bryant’s 81-point game was also the first and only time his grandmother saw him play live.
Second highest total in NBA history
Kobe’s 81-point performance made history as the second-highest point total ever in the NBA, just behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points. The latter scored these 100 points on March 2, 1962 for the Philadelphia Warriors during a 169-147 victory against the New York Knicks.
-The Toronto Raptors had a 14-point halftime lead and extended it to 18 points in the third quarter before Bryant’s explosion. Kobe scored an impressive 55 points in the second half, the second-highest total in a half in NBA history, behind Chamberlain’s 59 points. His last 23 points came in the final nine minutes of the game.
Another memorable anecdote
There is another interesting story surrounding this Lakers-Raptors game. A month earlier, Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. That day, the Los Angeles superstar was not allowed to play in the fourth quarter, with the Lakers leading by a wide margin. Kobe predicted he would break this record in the future, and he did it in less than a month.
Bryant made 28 of 46 (60.9%) shots from the field, 7 of 13 (53.8%) from three-point range and 18 of 20 (90.0%) from free throws. He also recorded 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block in 42 minutes of play.
“Not even in my dreams”, Bryant said after the game. “It’s something that just happened. It’s difficult to explain. It’s just one of those things. It hasn’t really struck me yet. What matters is victory, that’s why I gave everything. It has become something special. To say that I am fully aware of what happened would be to lie.”
Credit Photo : Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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