Kobe Bean Bryant: Forever A Champion, Forever A Legend (Part Two)
- Apr 13, 2016
- 4 min read
Photograph By Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
81 Points
"You're sitting and watching, and it's like a miracle unfolding in front of your eyes and you can't accept it. Somehow, the brain won't work. The easiest way to look at it is, everybody remembers every 50-point game they ever saw. He had 55 in the second half." -- Lakers owner Jerry Buss, USA Today, 2006
On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points in a 122–104 victory against the Toronto Raptors. He broke the previous franchise record of 71 set by Elgin Baylor and his 81-point game was the second-highest point total in NBA history. The only higher total was Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962.
Chamberlain was given the ball for inside shots in a blowout win, but Bryant shot mostly from the outside. This was in a game which the Lakers trailed at halftime by 14 and Los Angeles didn't break away until the fourth quarter. Bryant scored 66 percent of the Lakers' 122 points.
Later on during the same season, Bryant would go on to win the league's scoring title for the first time, averaging 35.4 points per game. He became the fifth player in league history to average at least 35 in a season. Bryant also finished in fourth in the voting for the 2006 NBA MVP Award. The Los Angeles Lakers finished with a 45–37 record, but would lose in Game 7 to the Suns in the first round of the 2006 playoffs. The Lakers would go on to lose again to the Suns in the first round in the 2007 playoffs, this time losing 4-1 in a best-of-seven series.
Gasol Comes to the Lakers, Return to Glory
"I spent seven years in Memphis and I learned a lot. Now I am in a situation where I am very privileged and I couldn't ask for anything better. The best part is that right away I will have a chance to win. The pressure to win and being one of the favorites is what you want, and something that I have been missing since I have been in the NBA. I love that I have that with my national team every summer, I had that before I was in the NBA with Barcelona and that is what I have from now on." -- Gasol, Reuters, 2008
With the addition of All-Star forward Pau Gasol, Bryant lead his team to a West best 57–25 record. The Lakers swept the Nuggets in the first round and on May 6, 2008, and Bryant was officially the league MVP. He said, "It's been a long ride. I'm very proud to represent this organization, to represent this city." Jerry West, responsible for bringing Bryant to the Lakers, was at the press conference to see Bryant receive his MVP trophy from NBA commissioner David Stern. He stated, "Kobe deserved it. He's had just another great season. Doesn't surprise me one bit."
After beating the Nuggets in the first round, the Lakers defeated the Jazz and then the Spurs in 5 games. This would send to the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, where Kobe would be for the first time without Shaq. The Lakers would go on to lose to the Celtics in 6 games, but they were finally back to being title contenders. This would give Bryant and his Lakers the motivation to defeat the Orlando Magic in five games in the 2009 NBA Finals. Kobe would win his first Finals MVP. He averaged 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks during the series.
The Lakers would go on to return to glory the next season. In a rematch against the 2008 Champion Celtics, Bryant would lead the Lakers back from a thirteen-point third quarter deficit in Game 7 to win the championship. Bryant scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 15 rebounds. Bryant won his fifth championship and earned his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award. Kobe had one less ring than Michael Jordan, but he wouldn't get another one.
Kobe the Legacy and What it Means to Me
A tribute to Kobe Bryant by BBALLBREAKDOWN. (Via Youtube)
"I want to congratulate you on an unbelievable career. I've always been like a big brother, and you're like a little brother. We communicate all the time. You've been a big help to the game of basketball. You helped the NBA. You've got fans all over the world. I am a big fan. I still love watching you play. I'm very, very happy for you, and what you have accomplished within the game. Have a great game tonight -- hopefully not too good of a game." -- Michael Jordan addressing Bryant before his final game in Charlotte, 2015
In this article, I left out the bad end to Kobe's career. That's on purpose. I don't want everyone to remember the injuries, the lack of playoff appearances, etc. That isn't Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant is fire, Kobe Bryant is flare, Kobe is a basketball maestro. Injuries don't do him any justice.
I didn't get to watch Michael Jordan play in his prime, but I saw Kobe. I saw a man who had drive, sometimes to the point where he'd belittle his teammates in practice. Kobe didn't play to be best friends with anyone. He played to be the best player that he could possibly be. He also didn't play to just be a great player. Bryant wanted to be an all-time great. He wanted to be better than Jordan.
Although Kobe isn't Jordan, he's my generation's greatest player. I saw a thirst for success that was unrivaled. Kobe saw blood and he was relentless. He wanted to destroy the opponent. Absolutely obliterate him. We will never see another like him. All hail the "Black Mamba", Kobe Bryant.
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