In case you missed it, ESPN put together an oral history of Kobe Bryant’s historic 81 point game from January 22nd of 2006. While the piece itself is way too long to share here, there are excerpt’s from the story that really jump out, including Kobe thinking he could have actually done better!
@IamJoeSports
“I should have had 90 points or more,” he says in the oral history. “I missed two free throws after making 62 straight. I had some open looks. I had some really open looks that I missed. I could have had more. There’s a lot of easy opportunities I missed. I think 100 is possible. I absolutely do. If I hadn’t sat out those six minutes in the first half, maybe I would have had it.”
The Black Mamba recalled a couple missed free throws and said he even thought 100 points was within his grasp had he cashed in on “easy opportunities”.
Kobe also went on to describe how he always knew he had that type of game inside of him, where as other players would never dream that big.
“It’s really a testament to the power of imagination, honestly,” Bryant told ESPN.com earlier this month. “There’s a lot of players who come up now who don’t think 80 points is possible. You think 50, and if you’re really hot — 60. I never had that limit. Ever. I never, ever thought that way. I always thought 80 was possible. I thought 90 was possible. I thought 100 was possible. Always. I think that game is a testament to what happens when you put no ceiling to what you’re capable of doing.”
It will go down as one of the biggest nights in the history of the league and you have to wonder if anyone else will come near the 81 point number, let alone anyone ever hitting 100 again like Wilt. Since Kobe’s big night, the closest any player has come was Carmelo Anthony and his 62 point effort against Charlotte a couple years ago. Just makes you appreciate the Mamba’s greatness even more.
In case you needed a reminder or just wanted to see it again, here is Sportcenter’s coverage of that game, led by the legendary Stuart Scott
Shout to Complex for the find
