On Jan. 22, 2006, Bryant scored 81 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 122-104 victory over the Raptors. Wilt Chamberlain, with his 100-point performance for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962, is the only player to score more in a single NBA game.
The significance of the achievement isn't lost on Bryant as he traverses his 20th and final NBA season. When he wrote a letter to fans this past November announcing his retirement, the photo behind the text was of him walking off the court after scoring 81 points -- his right arm stretched high with his index finger pointing to the sky. When he introduced the "Channel the Villain/Unleash the Hero" slogan for his final season with an online video, the opening scene featured him scoring his 81st point at the free throw line.
"It's really a testament to the power of imagination, honestly," Bryant told ESPN.com earlier...
This is essentially my response to the Pelton/Ford piece claiming that the Lakers have no young players aside from Russell who can become above average starters.
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Trying to make it as a professional athlete is inherently stressful. Jobs are scarce, competition fierce, and each and every mistake could be the one that costs you your spot and the millions of dollars that come with it. Factor in that most athletes are in their early twenties — or younger — when this mountain of pressure is heaped upon them, and it’s a wonder that we don’t see more crack under the strain.
The young players on the Los Angeles Lakers certainly aren’t exempt from the stress. Their coach, Byron Scott, practices “tough love,” believing that these moldable young men need to be pushed rather than nurtured. Public criticism outpaces compliments,...
