NBA Special Report: Kobe Bryant’s Performances of the Decade
Do you know who has taken 115 shots in just 24 seconds? One - who scored a breath-taking 81 points in a single match?
He is none other than the “Black Mamba” of NBA. Yes! He is Kobe Bryant, the 32-years-old sharp shooting guard of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Without question, Bryant is the most polarizing figure in the world of National Basketball Association as he is the sole owner of many NBA records.
Kobe started his career as a 17-year-old wonder-kid straight out of high school. However, at that time, he was known to the world as a son of former Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and the maternal nephew of
John "Chubby" Cox. He worked with passion and established his own identity in NBA as he owns five NBA championship rings that place him among basketball's immortals.
The spectacular player of Lower Merion High School was also crowned most valuable player of the finals for the second year in a row in the 2007-08 finals.
In a career filled with achievements of historic proportion some of his achievement really stand out head and shoulders above the rest.
It was January 22, 2006 and a match between the Lakers and the Raptors was scheduled at Staples Center in Los Angeles. It was another general game for the basketball fans but it was one of most memorable day of Bryant’s basketball
career. A brilliant individual performance by Kobe amazed the world of basketball that will never be forgotten.
Spurred on by 18,997 basketball fans chanting "MVP! MVP!" Bryant scored a sensational 81 points in a 122-104 victory of Los Angeles over the visiting Toronto Raptors. It was the second-highest total in NBA history as only Wilt
Chamberlain's storied 100-point game ranks higher.
During the season 2006-07, the Lakers were held under 81 total points for seven times, and Kobe scored that much in just a single showdown.
The unstoppable Bryant was himself surprised and short of words to express his feelings by the end of his sizzling performance.
"Not even in my dreams," Bryant said. "That was something that just happened. It is tough to explain. It is just one of those things.” "It really has not, like, set in for me. It is about the `W,' that is why I turned it on. It
turned into something special. To sit here and say I grasp what happened, that would be lying.”
The Raptors played the first half very well as maintained a 63-49 advantage at the halftime. The Lakers were trailing by as many as 18 points early in the third quarter.
Bryant then took the charge of the contest as he scored 51 points in the third as Los Angeles outscored Toronto 38-14 to go ahead for good.
Bryant made two free throws with 43.4 seconds remaining for his final points. He posted 28 of his points in the fourth quarter.
Bryant left to a standing ovation with 4.2 seconds remaining, having shot 28-of-46 from the floor, including 7-of-13 from 3-point range, and 18-of-20 from the foul line.
Bryant’s teammate Devean George said, "I never imagined I would see history like that," "I can't tell you where that came from. He just kept attacking, attacking, attacking -- every time he got the ball."
That was all about Kobe’s individual unforgettable performance and at the same time Bryant is one of the most magnificent players of his generation.
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