With this being Kobe Bryant’s 20th and final season with the Lakers, the organization has been running a pretty cool feature all season called “This Day in Kobe History” (#TDIKH) where they chronicle great games or key events throughout Kobe’s career. Today, December 20th, just so happens to be one of my favorite Kobe games ever:
#TDIKH: Dec 20 2005: Kobe outscores Dallas by himself through three quarters, 62-61. https://t.co/Eqx2WSqFso
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 20, 2015
This game is often overshadowed by Kobe’s 81 point performance against the Raptors which came a month later (January 22, 2006). But, for my money, Kobe’s outburst 10 years ago was actually more impressive.
For one, it came against one of the best teams in the league. That season the Mavs won 60 games (3rd best in the league) and went to the NBA Finals (they lost to the Heat). In terms of efficiency on both sides of the ball, they boasted the 2nd best offense and the 11th best defense in the league. For Kobe to outscore this team by himself through three quarters is, frankly, improbable and stands up as one of the more amazing things I’ve ever seen.
Second, while Kobe was certainly taking a lot of shots and being uber aggressive, he also wasn’t really force fed the ball to get his shots. In the “81” game against the Raptors, Kobe and his teammates were clearly getting him the ball and getting out of his way in an effort to let him get as many points as possible. Down the stretch, it was all Kobe every time down so he could just shoot. This doesn’t diminish the final total or accomplishment, it just did not come within the flow of the game quite as much as it did against the Mavs.
In any event, this game is one of my favorite Kobe performances ever. Thanks to the Lakers for highlighting it today in a commemorative post. Be sure to read that post — it has some excellent quotes from both sides — but also check out the highlights from the game below. There was no one quite like prime-Kobe.
jeremy.j says
Dang, I miss the prime Kobe so much. Been a fan of him since he was drafter in ’96. Prime Kobe would punish the current superstars (curry, lebron, et al).
One of my “what if’s” is that what if the Lakers beat the Suns during the 05-06 playoffs? they were up 3-1 and everybody was hyped up when kobe made THE SHOT in game 4 but only to surrender the rest of the games. I was one of those who was so much hurtful. Lakers could have given the Mavs a tough fight as they were having trouble shutting down Kobe during the regular season match-ups. I believed that they could have gone through the WCF that year.
Anyways, without these struggles, Kobe would not have been a winner in 09-10 as these playoff losses would fuel the fire in him to get those championships.
matt says
If in this game kobe is a 10, what is the potential of what russell will be, 8, what randle will be, 9, what clarkson will be, 8?
That’s wishful thinking, one or two being good, great, all three being good, awesome. I remembering players dont peak until like 25-28 years old
harold says
God he was young… and in shape. Now that he’s older you appreciate the fact that he was actually able to take that many shots a bit more. Back then the focus was on calling him a ballhog but it’s incredible how he could just attack the entire game.
nimble says
We saw yesterday when Kobe was not playing.Ugly showing all around.
Bean was once a lifetime player.
Robert says
I remember this and agree with Darius that in terms of sheer onslaught of basketball prowess, it tops “81”. That said, I was a little disappointed that Phil did not leave KB in at least let him get the Laker record and the #2 all time (at that time). Who knows – he gets hot at the beginning of the 4th, then it could have been completely legendary. I mean how many times do you get a chance to score 100 points in a game? In any case, another KB masterpiece.
the other Stephen says
Every time Byron throws the team under the bus, I die a little.
Chearn says
Every coach recognizes ‘the deer caught in the headlights look’ from players when they compete against a team in the YMCA with a 10-0 record, a team in middle school with a winning record, a high school team with superior athletes and no league game losses, a college team chalked full of the nation’s top recruiting class, and an NBA team playing against LeBron, Wade, and Bosh their second year together. It’s natural for the coach of a team that played as flat, and devoid of passion as the Lakers did in that first quarter, and throughout the game to say they were afraid. To what else would you attribute it? A late night at the local strip club?
When asked if they were afraid of the Thunder, of course, they’ll all say no. What do you expect them to say, oh yeah, we thought we’d _iss our pants at the thought of playing Westbrook the second most exciting player in the league behind Curry, potential MVP in Durant, and shot-blocking Ibaka.
Anyone expecting the Lakers to win against a motivated playoff team by starting two rookies, a rejected non-defense playing sixth-man of the year, the first-year starter from training camp fresh off his rookie campaign, and the ghost of Christmas past at center was delusional. What should one expect from this team night-in and night-out are hustle, passion, effort and energy, heart, and Lakers pride. That isn’t that much to ask from players that want the keys to the kingdom is it? Until this team or, at least, enough of the core players carves out some space in their brains for defense–the other half of the game–they’ll challenge the 76ers for years to come for the worst record in the league.
There are no lessons learned in 30 point blowouts.
Robert says
The issue is that without regard what Byron does, the team is in fact under a Buss.
KenOak says
This was such a fantastic game! It was vintage Kobe when he used to strike fear in the opposing teams and their coaches.
matt says
Byron scott interview, ” byron is there anything you can learn from this loss, anything you can teach the team ” byrons replay “i don’t gotta learn nothing, they are the ones who gotta learn from it”
Anonymous says
When a baseball team falls so far behind in the playoff race it’s accepted that they will become sellers at the trading deadline. Teams trade the ‘win now’ portion of their roster and look for younger pieces to help with next season’s push.
It’s safe to say that the Lakers have fallen completely out of this year’s race. Time make moves for the future.
Shaun says
Losing the 06 series to pheonix was really tough – up 3-1 and then tim thomas scews us forcing overtime on a last second 3 when it looked like we had closed out the series on the NBA darling suns and Nash who had robbed Kobe of a deserving MVP that year … which is something that sucks longterm because Kobe will only have 1 MVP to his name but he was the MVP for a couple more years
Anonymous says
There are no lessons learned in 30 point blowouts.
___
Well, hopefully the FO can learn something from a 40 point ass kicking.
matt says
Any type of trade would at least make things more interesting
Mike Feinstein says
My Ode to Kobe Bryant http://smdp.com/ode-kobe-bryant/152726. Inside/Outside, December 21, 2015. Santa Monica Daily Press
LKK says
Mike F…
Props on the mention of Kobe’s 45 & 10 vs. the Spurs…that is probably my favorite of all his great games. During that game he made a beautiful reverse layup along the baseline that he finished with two hands. So pretty. With Kobe, basketball ceased being a game. The things he did were performance art!