Kobe Scores 81 Against Raptors

[EDGECRUSHER]

81 Points
28-46
7-13 Three Pointers
18-20 Free Throws
6 Rebounds
2 Assists
3 Steals

[Philly Fin Fan]

I remember somebody started a thread once about "ball hogs".
81 points and 2 assists? Can we all say "Ball Hog"...

[jtex316]

EIGHTY ONE.  Come on.  SOMEONE GUARD HIM!!!!

[Phishfan]

Another reason why the college game is so much more fundamentally sound than the NBA. I hate the NBA hype.

[raptorsfan29]

Lets get something straight. Our defense sucks okay.I'm going to sit in the corner of my room and cry now. 

[gocowboys31]

I hate the lakers as much as the next man, but i love kobe bryant. The guy is the best basketball player period!!!!! He's ruthless, relentless, and has a killer instinct unmacthed by anyone in the NBA today. The guy is focused and fixated and dedicated to one thing, basketball. I wish more players were more focused on improving different facets of their games like kobe. I'll say it once ill say it a milion times, ive never wacthed a kobe bryant game and came away cheated.

[Spider-Dan]

Kobe Bryant is a scumbag.  And I don't mean that in the "Terrell Owens is a scumbag" sense... Terrell Owens is just extremely unprofessional, but I think he's probably a respectable human being.  Kobe Bryant... isn't.

cheated on his wife
snitched on other players
dismantled a championship team to satisfy his ego

And to be honest, I think he's an overrated player.  Everyone wants to talk about Kobe Bryant being arguably the best player in the NBA... if that's the case, why does he have 0 MVPs?  He wasn't even the best player on his own team.

[Thundergod]

I remember somebody started a thread once about "ball hogs".
81 points and 2 assists? Can we all say "Ball Hog"...

So would you say the same thing about Wilt Chamberlain?

Everyone wants to talk about Kobe Bryant being arguably the best player in the NBA... if that's the case, why does he have 0 MVPs?

Shaq and Kobe on the same team... Now that Shaq is gone, and if the Lakers (by some miracle) win the NBA championship you can mark (1) under MVP.

[gocowboys31]

Kobe Bryant is a scumbag.  And I don't mean that in the "Terrell Owens is a scumbag" sense... Terrell Owens is just extremely unprofessional, but I think he's probably a respectable human being.  Kobe Bryant... isn't.

cheated on his wife
snitched on other players
dismantled a championship team to satisfy his ego

And to be honest, I think he's an overrated player.  Everyone wants to talk about Kobe Bryant being arguably the best player in the NBA... if that's the case, why does he have 0 MVPs?  He wasn't even the best player on his own team.

WHOAAA. I have to take issue with some of these remarks. I'm not fan fan of kobe personally, but i admire his game, and the way he appraoches the game in a very buisness like, take no prisoners attitude on the court.

Is kobe the first professional athlete to committ adultery? Id say no, and he wont be the last. The man got up in front of the cameras with his wife and apologized. The man showed remorse. I thought this was a society that was forgiving, and willing to give second chances. Michael jordan cheated on his wife, but jordan was either savvy enough too keep it from going public, or his wife didnt want to come out and destroy his public image. People need to get over him cheating on his wife.


Snicthing on other players- I agree wholeheartedly, their's no room for that. The code was definitely broken their.


Kobe didnt dismantle the team. Kobe was a free agent at the time and had every right to explore his options. Dr. jerry buss decided to trade an older shaq for in favor of a younger kobe. I would've done the same thing. Shaq's act is getting tired, and the excuses keep rolling in. OHHH his ankle, ohhh his conditioning, ohhhhh stan van gundy wasnt the right coach. The guy is 7'1 and cant even average double figures in rebounding. Remember is was shaq who chose toe have the toe surgery in the beginning of the 2002 season instead of having it during the offseason, costing the lakers homecourt advantage. Now you tell me who was being selfish?


As far as kobe being ovverated, that is the most hilarious thing ive ever heard. How many players could have performed under the adverse conditions 2 years ago. Back and forth from colorado to l.a. ,and still performing as if everything was normal? What other player in the NBA has that kind of mental toughness?


As far as kobe not being the best player on his team, that's another joke. How many game winners did shaq ever hit? Not many because he couldnt be trusted at the end of games, because his free throw shooting was so horrendous, meanwhile kobe continuted to deliver in the 4th quarter sinking game winners. Hell its the same thing in miami, Wade is the one with the ball in his hands at the conclusion of games not shaq.


I'm sure the argument like it always is with kobe is he dosent make his teammates better. Who's he going to make better? Lamar odom? He'll forever he a guy who'll they'll say had potential to be a great player. Smush parker, brian cook, chris mihm, kwame brown. These guys all suck. If kobe isnt scoring, the lakers aren't sucessful period.

And if he's so ovverated why cant anyone stop him, knowing he's the focal point of the offense? I'll tell you why you cant stop the unstoppable. He has the total package. Mid range jumpers, 3-pt shooting, the ability to get to the basket and draw fouls, and more importantly he has that killer instinct. Kobe knows when his opponent is vulnerable and attacks, attacks,  until he's left his mark. Even the chosen 1 lebron james admitted as much 2 weeks ago when kobe broke their hearts with 3 straight jumpers, while lebron was choking on the free throw line. Lebron stated " I've yet to acquire that killer instinct that kobe has".

Hate all you want but the stats dont lie. Over the last month he's averaging 45 pts a game 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and shooting near 50 percent from the field. But i guess anyone can do that right?

[Philly Fin Fan]

So would you say the same thing about Wilt Chamberlain?

Completely different era of the game. you can't even compare Chamberlains high scoring games to this one. Think of it like this- did the greatest player to ever play (Jordan) during the modern era ever approach these kinds of numbers in one game? No, because he was a team player.

[gocowboys31]

did the greatest player to ever play (Jordan) during the modern era ever approach these kinds of numbers in one game? No, because he was a team player.

Yes he scored 63 in a playoff game in 86 against the celtics. And he had just about the same kind of supporting cast as kobe does know. Dave corzine, kyle macy, orlando woolridge, and a young charles oakley were his teamates. Jordan was forced to take over the game. Jordan became a team player when the pieces around him got better. Dont fool yourself jordan had the same knock on him before the Scottie pippen's, john paxson's and horace grant's arrived.

[Thundergod]

Completely different era of the game. you can't even compare Chamberlains high scoring games to this one. Think of it like this- did the greatest player to ever play (Jordan) during the modern era ever approach these kinds of numbers in one game? No, because he was a team player.

You could always argue the fact that Jordan had a better supporting cast as well.  As for the era thing,  what does that have to do with it?  Not like I was around or anything,  but maybe Chamberlain was the best player on his team,  like Bryant.  Everyone's calling Kobe a ball-hog,  fair enough,  but how does Wilt score 100pts by passing?

[gocowboys31]

Jordan hit the 50 pt plus plateau 39 time in his career. Jordan like kobe took over games when he had too.

[Spider-Dan]

As far as kobe being ovverated, that is the most hilarious thing ive ever heard. How many players could have performed under the adverse conditions 2 years ago. Back and forth from colorado to l.a. ,and still performing as if everything was normal? What other player in the NBA has that kind of mental toughness?

Kobe Bryant does not get any sort of medal for performing under the "mental stress" of a trial that was his own damned fault.  You might as well give Jamal Lewis a gold star for his 2000-yd season under the duress of a drug investigation.

As far as kobe not being the best player on his team, that's another joke. How many game winners did shaq ever hit? Not many because he couldnt be trusted at the end of games, because his free throw shooting was so horrendous, meanwhile kobe continuted to deliver in the 4th quarter sinking game winners.

Kobe ain't no Jordan, or even Reggie Miller.  When Kobe has the ball in his hands with the game on the line, he is far from "clutch".  I would guess that his FG % is exactly what it is normally.  In fact, I would dare to say that nearly every single close loss by LAL is the result of Kobe missing a last second shot.

And what makes you think that the last 60 seconds of a game is all that counts?  Where is Kobe when Shaq is banging down low and scoring the tough points?  Trying to put himself on some highlight reel.

Kobe Bryant is the 21st century equivalent of Dominique Wilkins.  It's just that Dominique never had Shaq.

And if he's so ovverated why cant anyone stop him, knowing he's the focal point of the offense? I'll tell you why you cant stop the unstoppable.

If he's so unstoppable, why didn't LAL make the playoffs last year, the first year when he didn't have Shaq to carry the load?  Kobe is only "unstoppable" when he totally monopolizes the team's offense.  AI is no less unstoppable when he wants to play that way; unlike Kobe, he's realized that that isn't what it's about.

[Phishfan]

Whata is this snitching you guys are referring to. My menory has faded there.