Feel free to pick one of the choices or click "other" and share the game you feel Kobe had his best overall game / or biggest impact.
My choice is his last game. 60 points on a worn down body. Considering his legs looked like rubber and the mileage on his knees and ankles and the injuries he's had in the past 3 years, this was it for me. This was just vintage! I didn't want to say something like this the night after the game or yesterday, or even earlier today. I wanted to make sure this was really how I felt. 50 years from now, this is the game I'll think back on if I had to narrow it down to one single game. Just amazing....... considering the age, mileage, injuries, etc. What a way to go out. Please share your thoughts, feelings, and by all means, share other games if I left one out (he has a lot, so I wanted to keep it under 5 if possible).
It's 81 for me. We were down 20 in that game and he just went into an incredible zone we've never seen before. He was knocking down shot after shot. He drew fouls. He was getting doubled and tripled. Sam Mitchell said it best they played every defense they could play and Kobe still couldn't be stopped or even slowed down. People will say 62 was better and he would've scored more than 81 had he played the fourth, but we don't know that. Still having to score 20 more would've been a difficult feat as hot as he was. Nonetheless those are his top two performances in my eyes. I still marvel at those games. Also the incredible efficiency at which he did it even though those were some all world shots. He was in his athletic prime. He drove by at will. He had some sweet reverse layups. He had a huge steal and dunk. He went on an incredible three point barrage. Pulling up, his mid range game was spectacular, and just the degree of difficulty was off the charts. So for me. 1. 81 point game vs Toronto. 2. 62 point game vs Dallas. 3. 60 point game vs Utah. 4. Game 4 against Indiana. 5. 61 at the Garden. Those other three I mean you said it John being on your absolute last legs, much like the Toronto game back in 06 trailing by a big deficit nobody else really doing anything and he just willed us back into the game and down the stretch. As I said the other night one thing to do it in your prime, but in his last game after two decades of work just unbelievable. Some of those shots were will shots. He was gassed and still found a way to get enough lift, he was still driving and taking the beating inside, and just the sheer competive fire to keep gunning and wanna go out like a bang like he did. It's just incredible how a guy with so much wear and tear found a way to put up one of the great performances of all time. The other two I mean at the Garden in the world's most famous arena where almost every all time great has put up an all time great performance. We were without Bynum I believe and while we still had Gasol and Odom obviously there was more of an onus put on Kobe's shoulders. That performance really displayed some of his amazing footwork. He really dazled that crowd with his incredible skill and ability to get defenders out of position and make it a much easier shot. Then Game 4 against Indiana. Just imagine the intense pressure. 21 years old. Big fella fouls out and it's all on him. He took it and ran with it. Made two big mid range jumpers. Then had that great put back. You could see it in his face. This was his time to step up and show the world he wasn't no sidekick. Also to do it on that bum ankle was very impressive and get us one win away from that championship. To be so cool and calm with no panic at such a young age.
24 has had so many notable games but to me Game 7 2010 Finals. He was not scoring at his usual clip but he responded in other areas, rebounding, assists and a pair of blocks. Great all around game and effort. Also given the magnitude of the game and who it was against, it will always be the one I will give the nod to.
Everyone ignores his 15 rebounds and harps on his 6 for 24 shooting. FIFTEEN rebounds for a shooting guard? KG had 3 in comparison.
Greatest game for me is 81. I say that with the following caveat... his 60 vs. Utah was completely unexpected. I was jumping up and down as if it was game 7 vs. Boston again. Never had done that before for a regular season game. I think the circumstances around the game made this more memorable for me, but not necessarily greater. The other regular season game I remember as if it was just yesterday (aside from his 62 vs. Dallas) were the two buzzer beaters at the end of the 4th and OT vs. Portland that locked up the 2nd seed in 2004. I have no idea how he made those.
Yep, 24 was all over the stat sheet. Not only that, he also had to keep his teammates mentally in the game. Down 13 in third? It was an uphill battle all the way that night. Artest...Gasol...Fisher. 24 did not force it to the point where they became bystanders. It just so happens that it was awful shooting by his usual standards. Those who harped on it were just his usual critics.
I personally believe the Dallas game where he outscored the Mavericks in 3 quarters was more impressive than the Toronto game. The Mavs were legit contenders.
I mean, this is a trick question for me... and there's just so much that comes to mind... but in honor of such a great career, let's think back a little bit... In terms of "how he played", probably nothing can beat the 62 in 3. Dallas was a good team and he flat out beat them by himself. I remember I just couldn't believe he didn't play that final quarter, especially because,well, his previous career-high was 56 (a number I always thought it felt short for Kobe, even more after T-Mac scored 62)... thing is, those 56 points were pretty similar to the 62. He scored them in 3 quarters against Pau and the Grizzlies. Another great game there where he destroyed the opposition. The 81 point game has a lot of significance because, well, it's 81 freaking points. But let's be honest here. 81 points really shook the world at the time, but for us who followed Kobe closely... where we THAT surprised? I can't speak for everyone, but after seeing games like that against the Grizzlies and Mavericks, or the 42 in a half against MJ... I mean, I knew Kobe could get 80. I didn't think it was easy, but Kobe took from me the notion that 80 is impossible... he did it before he actually scored them. Now, the thing about all those games is... Kobe was really damn good. What I respect the most here is that he was so damn good in those games that there was no room for actually making the game more epic by being clutch. He just annihilated the competition. He was way too good for the score to be close. That's the biggest difference for me in comparison to Michael Jordan, for example, who I don't think comes even close to a Kobe on fire. MJ lost 3 out of 5 games where he scored 60 and the two he won needed OT. Of course, those OT made for some great narrative, but I can't call that a better game because MJ was clutch... how was Kobe going to be clutch against the Mavs when he had already finished the job way before clutch time (actually, MJ's only 60 point game without OT was against the Hawks, where the Hawks came from behind to win). Kobe won every single game he scored 60 (and those where he scored 50 really quick and went to rest... quite a few of those), but I'll apply the same thing. These 60 points where obviously not better than the 81. It would be silly to think 37 year old Kobe could be as good as a top 27 year old Kobe, but that said, the narrative from this last game is untouchable. Only way to make it better would be for it to happen in the Finals to win a championship. That's it. It was his final game, he scored 60 points being by far the oldest player to do that, went nuts in the final minutes to turn the score around and gave a performance for the ages... I mean, how's that even.... I mean, I still have a hard time to believe this. Long ago I told myself to never put Kobe in doubt, I always felt he's capable of anything... but c'mon, even if I honestly thought that... he still did something I just didn't think possible.... What can I say, I still see this and... it just doesn't feel real. No, it's not his best game... but what the game meant, the situation in which he did it... it's simply surreal. It's so impressive that it actually makes 73 wins in a season a second page. How in the world did those 60 points happen. Even with Kobe shooting 50, that's absolutely crazy... We're talking about 60 points, we're talking about a 37 years old guy who's playing his 20th season, who came from an Achilles and many other injuries... a guy that would've been retired by now if logic applied to him. But then again, we're talking about Kobe Bryant. In all of those terms, these 60 points are just... wow. No words, honestly. But no, I can't say it was a better basketball performance than other games of his. But I do think it's the most impressive in its own way. In that regard, the 60 point game took the place that used to be taken by the 65 points against the Blazers. Another really close game where Kobe went nuts to win it. That baseline three that at the beginnings looks like he fouled and/or travelled, but on a closer look you see he didn't travel and in fact had an amazing footwork that just made Roy go on a trip all the way back to Oregon. That game was really fun because it was close, because it was an improbable win that Kobe made possible. But it didn't have that element of completely destroying the opposition like the Dallas game or the second half of the 81 points. But there's just so much more. I remember I really thought "this kid is really special" in 1999, a game against the Warriors with MJ in the stands and the day of the Columbine High School Massacre. That was the first of many "impossible" comebacks led by Kobe that I saw, including a game winner. I don't even remember his stats, but I perfectly remember how he took over and willed us to a comeback victory. That's when I knew it was only a matter of time before the Lakers win a championship. That's when I knew he wasn't just a great potential, he wasn't just an All-Star. He was an All-Time Great in the making. So many of those comebacks afterwards. I always remember those impossible shots against Portland to clinch the Pacific Division even when the team situation was chaotic, or the game-winner after game-winner in the 2009-2010 season. It was almost ridiculous. The way he played through the whole 2001 Playoffs, where I actually think he was the best player on the team, even if Shaq did have the better Finals (and yeah, it's a Final's MVP, not Playoffs MVP). I remember those games against San Antonio and Sacramento... they were completely destroyed... yeah, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Chris Webber, Peja... no chance at all. Of course, there's the 2000 Playoffs, where he had that outstanding takeover against the Pacers, and before that an impressive Game 7 against the Blazers, and even before that, a game-winner against Jason Kidd's Suns. The Achilles injury still hurts ME. I was speechless at the time. That season had a lot of negative things with Howard and Nash, but watching Kobe take us to the Playoffs was amazing. He literally gave his all. The idea of "I'll do whatever it takes"... he took it literally. Probably not the best thing on the long run. Front office and D'Antoni should've been more strict and don't give a damn that he's Kobe and stop him from playing that much. Maybe he should've been aware he was killing himself with that... but he wouldn't be Kobe if he said something like "I might get injured if I continue". The Kobe we love could only think "I'm taking this team to the Playoffs. Period." That game against the Warriors was impressive (though even before the Achilles, it was difficult to watch... he was bad enough that it was REALLY noticeable for the fans) and the game before against the Blazers was... damn, 48 minutes, 47 points and a victory in that damn Rose Garden. It didn't amount to much because Howard obviously didn't use the chance to play in the Playoffs, even ejecting himself. But what Kobe did... I respect the heck out of that. I always will. It's an inspiration for me. I remember Kobe was having some serious injury problems through the whole 2010 season, problems that only got worse as the season progressed. We actually ended that season pretty badly, and as bad as it ended, the Playoffs began almost as bad. Kobe had that knee drained, and everything suddenly turned around. People only talk about 6/24 game 7, but those Playoffs became quite a thing. He wasn't young anymore and already had a lot of minutes in his back. I'll never forget Charles Barkley saying "his days of scoring 30 points on a consistent basis are over"... and he went and scored 30 in almost every game those Playoffs, including that impressive series against the Suns. Even that Game 7 wasn't that bad. He was key for that victory, did everything else... and still scored a game-leading 10 points in that final quarter to turn the game around and win it. He gave the pass to Ron, just like he did to Fisher in 2009, just like he did to Shaq in 2000. I also remember that Game 4 against the Spurs in 2004, just a game before THE Fisher shot. Kobe had just gotten back from Colorado because of the sexual assault thing, and completely destroyed the Spurs with 42 points, and I believe it was 15 in the final quarter. Going back to the 65 point game, it's important to give the second context for that... that closed a 4 game streak of 50 point games, and two of them where actually 60 point games. I remember against the Jazz when he scored like 52 and then went to rest in the fourth quarter. Did the same to Denver once I believe. That's pretty crazy. There's also that streak of 9 games scoring 40+ in 2003. Which, in a way, was like 2012-2013. Kobe really turned that season around (I still think that MVP should be his, but then again, f*** MVPs). And I could go on and on but it's very late here and I need to sleep a little bit I don't think I can single out one game.
@Magic Skywalker great write-up. You mentioned so many great games. Games I had forgotten about. Situations and circumstances that tell so much more than a boxscore. Thanks for sharing because honestly, I've lost track through old age.
This is one of my favorite perhaps underrated Kobe moments. Game 6 in Phoenix of the Western Conference Finals in 2010 to advance and play Boston. Just the shots he hit against Grant Hill to propel us. They were just insanely difficult. Some other great moments for me. Game 5 against the C Bags in 2010. He was a one man show out there. One of the best performances in Finals history. What's crazy is he didn't go off till the third quarter and yet I still remember people saying he didn't trust his teammates enough smh. Game 3 against the Nuggets. We were in real danger in that series. The Nuggets were just a tough matchup man. Melo was just a beast that year. Really put it all together. Was a great battle between him and Kobe. They fought tooth and nail out there. Denver had all the momentum in Game 3 even though Melo had an off night. Kobe did what superstars do. Even when nobody else really had a great night he kept us in the game. Then hit that monstrous three late to give us the lead and then a huge steal by Trevor. Prior postseason against San Antonio in the West Finals. Played the whole postseason without Bynum and Kobe really dominated the Spurs. Duncan actually pretty much did the same to Gasol, but Odom caused some huge mismatched problems and our bench was also a huge factor. We fell behind 20 twice and Kobe led us back. He was insanely clutch that series. Then of course the previous postseason matchup with San Antonio. Kobe had all the Colorado drama and still was able to focus and deliver a much needed performance to tie the series after we fell behind 2-0. I do hate thinking of that year because that was a tough Finals for him and that loss still bothers me to this day. https://youtu.be/V0PmB22MFKw Btw I think this would be a cool thread to just post all our favorite Kobe moments so we could relive them right in this thread as I've already started doing haha.
His final game. The culmination of all his skill, all his heart, no legs, no shoulder, nothing left in the tank, but pure soul and complete clutch performance down the stretch going out. It was a masterpiece. More astonishing and fulfilling to me than any of the stupendous unbelievable feats before. The ultimate statement from the game's greatest warrior.
Yeah man you can definitely argue it's his best. I know Mike also had 50 at age 38 I believe, but he was only in his fifteenth season and obviously never suffered a devastating injury like an torn Achilles. Kobe just has the heart of a champion. There's really nothing else you can say. He has an incredible ability to push himself to an extraordinary limit even when he is physically incapable of doing so.
Kobe had maybe 50 games that any other player other than MJ would be happy to own as their best game. Hard to choose just one. But I'm not going to argue against the Grand Finale game.
I voted the 60 point masterpiece to finish his career. For my Game of Thrones fans, as Kobe hit the go ahead shot with 30 seconds left, all I thought was "What do we say to the god of death" with Arya replying "Not today.". Kobe literally stole a game from father time. This had everything that Kobe represents. The heart, warrior-like mentality, drama, come-from-behind, battle adversity, and clutchness. I mean you have to be a certain kind of animal to put up 50 shots. And he was efficient at age 37 in his 20th season after battling off career ending injuries. I do not think words will ever do justice to what Kobe did on 4.13.16, and I am fine with that. I honestly believe that no other player could do what Kobe just did, given all the circumstances. He is just a different animal folks.
Game 04 in 04 against SAS was spectacular given the circumstances . The seasons I enjoy watching him the most are 02/03, 05-06 and 06-07. He was just a video game on a nightly basis , best tough shot maker ever , he made all shots possible ( and impossible) from every spot and every angle on the floor
I voted for 81 points. I understand every argument for every other game and I won't call anyone wrong or anything, but 81 points? Freaking 81 points? Are you kidding me?? If it wasn't for the fact that it happened, no one would believe that it was even possible. There's no one in the NBA today that's got that kind of vision about themselves. I honestly believe there's no one in the game today that even thinks they COULD get 81 points if they tried for it.
That was my vote as well. 81 points in a game is just unbelievable. Even for Kobe to get that hot is just unheard of. The guy had some of the most incredible eruptions and that was just another level. Steph probably has the best chance, but he's gotten on some incredible hot streaks and hasn't come close to it and I doubt he or anyone will. It's just too difficult to get on a sustained streak like that.
