Also, Trust me, and if you have read my posts you could see this, but I'm just as frustrated with current Kobe and the state of our team and terrible coaching as everyone else is. I'm extremely dissapointed not just in this year Kobe, but how Kobe failed to adjust as he got older, which would have not only helped his career but also most importantly left our franchise in a better situation. However, I don't want to talk about any of that in this post. This thread is about celebrating the past, and realizing that Kobe wouldn't have scored 81 points if he had a different mentality....and this same mentality is what has lead to this ugly last few years.
I wanted to post this on the GB, but the gb is such a mess regarding anything, especially regarding the Lakers and Kobe. Look at any of the retirement threads, or Kobe threads. Look, his horrible play warrants discussion...but the posters in the GB can't seem to reserve certain threads for just positivity, especially when it comes to kobe. I can't help but to agree with Durant with the unfair treatment of Kobe in his last year. Yes, no all time great was this stubborn and performed this poorly (in terms of quantity) , but the amount of criticism Kobe has received in comparison to celebration for his careers have been extreme, imho. But to be fair, some of this has changed since the retirement announcement.
Regarding Kobe's legacy in the basketball fan community, I also can't help but to be disappointed in the amount of negativity he has received. It's like the few teenage Kobe homers who claimed Kobe was better Jordan gave everyone to heavily be critical of him, in ways that no top 20 player has been criticized, let alone top 10. Which leads me to what this thread is actually about, which is the 81 point game.
I don't believe people fully understand, comprehend, or appreciate how truly amazing of a performance it really was. The general consensus on the gb has been that "If Lebron/Durant/Jordan etc took enough shots they easily could have done the same thing". This almost childish logic is pretty much accepted. I don't care how less selfless Lebron is, or how much Westbrook takes touches from Durant, or how much more disciplined Jordan was....The truth is that if anyone could score 81 points....if they are unstoppable to that level and are feeling it that much, they would do it. These other players have shown that they have no problem being aggressive when they have the hot hand, and it's ridiculous how people simply assume certain players just didn't want to take enough shots, when no one in recent memory has even come to close 81 points. While I believe other elite scorers can have such a night if everything went right, I don't agree with the logic that they "could have have if they wanted to", ignoring the fact that they haven't been anywhere near it.
The truth is, it takes a especial level of skill to score that many points, which I don't think anyone else in NBA history has had. I'm not saying Kobe is the best scorer of all time by any means....I'm just saying in order to have such a monster game in the modern era, you need an amazing combination of ability, which I don't think anyone else in this league has ever had. I'm also not saying if MJ put his mind to it, he couldn't have developed Kobe's range, for example, but the truth is that he never did. It's almost like when fans of Kobe say "if kobe had Jordan's shot selection he would have been just as efficient". The truth is....yeah maybe. Yeah heck you could make a good argument for it...but it never actually happened.
The ability to make contested threes at the rate Kobe did that night, use athleticism to get to line and escape double teams, shoot impossible midrange shots when perfect defense was being played, AND shoot that efficiently from the line, while maintaining constant aggression is not something that's been replicated by anyone else in history. MJ could do most of those things, and many of them better than Kobe, but he couldn't make those ridiculous threes. Lebron could do some of those things...So can Durant so can a handful of others...but to have that entire combination? I'm in no way saying kobe is a better player, or offensive player, or even a better scorer than those guys comparing their entire careers. I'm just simply taking note that in modern basketball, no other player has possessed such a combination of scoring ability.
After 1980, only two players have scored over 70 points in a basketball game, the other being David Robinson in the last game of the season chasing a scoring title. (who never reached 60 besides that game). Granted, MJ did score 69, so very close. But also, in OT.
No none-Wilt player has even gotten close to 80. I know these are facts that we all know, but I feel like they should be reiterated. This isn't a difference of a couple points. Look I'm not going to say things like Deandre Jordan could have Wilt like performances if he played in that era, or that Wilt was the single athletic player playing among no competition (Wilt's fluidity, touch, and skill would make him an all time great no matter what era he played). BUT, I don't think saying that Wilt would be very unlikely to score 80, let alone a 100, in today's game is a dramatic or extreme statement. Basically, my point is, 81 points is not just impressive.....it's absolutely legendary. It's something that I don't see anyone topping any time in the near future.
Here are the highlights, the press conference after right after the game, and a forum post compiling all the quotes about that game; This game was historic.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV9CMVdY3dM[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEAEKQ8rKCs[/youtube]
http://slumz.boxden.com/f16/quotes-from-over-40-nba-players-and-coaches-on-kobes-81-a-612812/
Some thoughts regarding those clips:
- It's so crazy to see Kobe in that age. We are all used to old grumpy Kobe by now, but that Kobe seems like an entirely different person.
-Is it me or did Kobe sound more like MJ in his speaking back then than he does now? Unpopular opinion but it almost seems like he's trying to talk like MJ did back then
-He seems almost shocked and surprised that he had such a performance, but at the same time he's keeping cooler than I thought was possible after having such a performance...a weird paradox where I see humility and surprise regarding this accomplishment but also arrogance and this "I always knew I would be in this spot" type demeanor
- The Press conference and how they ask him about MJ; makes me curious if Kobe at that moment believed he could surprass MJ at the consensus GOAT...I remember 14 year old me watching that press conference and not having a doubt that Kobe would be the GOAT....of course that's not necessarily how it turned out
- Stu calling the game; Too many memories with Stu's calls and I feel like it isn't even closed to being done. Another legend in their craft imo
- So awesome to me listening to Kobe about how he proud he felt that Magic called him after the game....usually Kobe (especially back then...not so much now) tends to be politically correct in his interviews...the emotional response regarding what it meant that Magic Called him seemed genuine.
-Rick Carlisle's reaction to the game "I don't feel so bad about the 45 he got on us now"
Rick most underrated coach of all time regarding humor
