No, I'm not a Kobe hater. In fact, I'm a big Knicks fan and Kobe is probably my favorite non-Knick player besides Iverson.
With that said, it was ridiculous so many people made a big deal about Kobe droppin' 81 on the defensively weak Raptors! If Kobe did it against a defensive monster like Detroit or San Antonio during a PLAYOFF game, then I would've been impressed. But against the RAPTORS during a meaningless regular season game?
Jordan scored 63 points against the then-mighty Celtics and it was done DURING a playoff game (a playoff record that STILL stands today).
Did Kobe go out and score 81 in ANY of the playoff games vs. the Suns this past year? NO! Did Kobe take matters into his OWN hands to score 81 or more pts. in Game 7 of the recent Lakers-Suns playoff series? NO! Could he have done it against a defensively weak Suns team in a crucial Game 7 playoff game? We'll never know. We only know he scored 81 meaningless points against the even more meaningless Raptors.
2006-08-01 11:26:15 · 12 answers · asked by Big D 2 in Sports ➔ Basketball
ANY superstar like Kobe, Iverson, Wade, et. al, if allowed to shoot without restrictions, can score 81 OR MORE points in a game (see David Robinson's 71 point game vs. the Clippers back in '94). Do you seriously believe Jordan couldn't have scored 81 if he felt like it?
Hell, Jordan could've broken Wilt's 100 point record EASILY if that's what he wanted to do. (Jordan's career best ever? 69 vs. Cleveland).
So, what was the big deal with Kobe's 81 point game?
2006-08-01 11:27:58 · update #1
I totally agree, what's the big deal? The game was a total farce, they spent the whole fourth quarter trying to pad his total. 63 in a highly competitive playoff game against a great team is much more impressive.
The Raptors gave up 48 to somebody named Charlie Villenueva
2006-08-01 14:40:29 · answer #1 · answered by bulladawudz 3 · 3⤊ 6⤋
I'm sure the media made it a huge deal because there was a lack of other stories to put up. However, it was a big deal because of a few reasons:
1. No one has come that close to Wilt's improbable record of 100 pts until Kobe's 81. It's like Roger Maris's 61 home run season record. No one else came close, but everytime someone got on pace to beat it, the media watch was on. When Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa finally beat the record, remember how much commotion there was every single night?
2. If the Raptors were that weak, don't you think that AI or T-Mac or someone would have matched that? AI has as little team support as Kobe does so why hasn't he done it. He even has more chances per year to do it since Toronto is in the Eastern Conference. As weak as some NBA teams look, you have to remember that these guys are the best of the best. The worst guy on the worst team could kick my butt and your butt any day of the week and probably be a good player on any NCAA division IA team as well. Add the fact that they have pride as well...it doesn't matter what team or what time of the year Kobe did it. It's still amazing.
3. Compared to Wilt, I actually believe Kobe's 81 was more impressive. Did you see the shots he made? All of Wilt's shots came from within 8 feet of the rim. Kobe shot from all over the floor, including 3pt range. Granted, he did get extra points from shooting 3pt'ers and he did get a couple of dunks/layups. However, he still shot more from the perimeter.
4. The guy shot 61% from the field! If he was shooting 30%, I could see why people would have a problem with him shooting too much, but 61% is ridiculous. If you were a coach, and you could get a team shooting percentage of 61%, even if it came from one guy mostly, I think you'd be crazy to not take it.
Based on what you said, I don't know if any of my points is going to stick with you, but at least you now have an answer from someone.
2006-08-01 16:31:05 · answer #2 · answered by SnugB 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Men stop blowing off. It is not easy scoring that much point per game. Why are you lashing out. Do you know that Kobe at 5, 50 point game, and 6, 43 point game. Do you know that he scored 50 points in the Lakers-Suns series (Game 6). Do you know that he has carried that team to where it is. Nobody thought that the Lakers were gonna make the PLayoffs. So Kobe is good and in many since MJ as retired nobody as scored that much points in a Game. so that a new thing. And that is why fans love it and they love Kobe. You are saying Iverson, and D-wade can score 81 points if not restricted but they have never scored 81 points. the highest Iverson has ever scored is 50 and the highest for D-Wade is 43. So like it or not his 81 points over the Raptors is not meaningless. That is still the highest since Shaq scored 61 points when he was still with the Lakers. Remember he broke the number of points scored in a season which was Baylors in 1963. About 43 years ago. Men stop hating Kobe
2006-08-01 11:55:23 · answer #3 · answered by Vickky 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yaa well in a meaningless game Mike scored 69 points and left his team with not much more points but Kobe got his 81 points then got another 41 for his team now thats awesome!!! And Kobe was instructed not to be a ball hog like Mike so he was an all around player in the playoffs but did you see that last second Kobe shot vs the Suns??! It was amazing!! Just look at how Kobe plays compared to other people!!
2006-08-01 15:00:37 · answer #4 · answered by Jonathan C 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It just goes to show the sad state the NBA is in today.
What else is there that the media CAN make a big deal of today? Not really a whole lot. It just seems that every team has their "one superstar", and thats all. And its up to him to generate excitement for the fans and media. Forget watching great "team basketball". Guys like Kobe are more interested in their personal stats.
Points scored in games are blown way out of proportion. There are other ways for great players to help their team win. Thats what made players like Bird and Magic so great. They could have scored any time they wanted, but they were willing to sacrifice their own stats for the better of the team. You don't have many players like that today.
BTW...Jordans 63 pts was in a double overtime game in which HE LOST. Plus, he missed a wide open jump shot at the end of the first overtime, which would have won the game(ESPN must have missed that shot). And, how many points did he score in the next game, on his home court? 19, and he fouled out!
2006-08-01 13:59:37 · answer #5 · answered by Hoopfan 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
aight, I get you're point about everybody's ability to do so if given free reign with the ball, AI could do it, Wade Could do it, Vincanity could do it, but the fact is they didn't. The media is always looking for a story and Kobe actually did it, he gave them the story. No athlete in history has ever been judged by what he could have done if this this and this had happened. The thing is Kobe went out and scored the second most ever, it was cool to see, cool to talk about, and cool to write into the history books.
I also get what you're saying about the playoffs, why he didn't do the same thing. Despite their flaws, the suns had better defense, better everything than the raptors. Second, some nights you have your shots, some you don't, if he had taken enough shots to get eighty one points, he probably would have in return given Phoneix enough free possesions to absolutely light them up with thier face paced game.
Third his team had progressed enough from that 81 point performance where he trusted them to make shots. He trusted Smush and Kwame to knock down some baskets during the game so that the defense couldn't just key on him, but if you notice, when there was a big shot to be taken in that series, the ball was in Kobe's hand.
It's a night in and night out thing with basketball players, with different teams come different game plans, different players you have to plan for, and the like. I think phil Jackson is usually much more content to see Kobe drop 40 and play the solid defense that he can than throw it all out for 41 extra when there are other places to get those 41.
2006-08-01 11:54:42 · answer #6 · answered by damainavent 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I under stand wat your saying but the reason that it was such a big deal was that its hard to make 81 points in a game. even if ity is against the raptor you would have to be really good because they had like 2 guys sticking d on him and he score 81 points. he is a little selfish wit the ball but give him props but i think u r right.
2006-08-01 13:16:39 · answer #7 · answered by Johnny Lovely 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
you seriously think Mike wasnt trying to score as many as he could every night?and he got 69 in a meaningless regular season game too...as for his 63 against Boston,they were a half court,set play team,playing against a guy who was redefining the game as we know it.You cant compare the two and you really habe to give Kobe his props.If it was that easy to score,it would happen every week,not every few years
2006-08-01 11:38:40 · answer #8 · answered by Dominic M 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
he scored the 2nd most amount of points in a game. (Record held by Wilt Chamberlain with 100)
2006-08-01 11:52:32 · answer #9 · answered by ash9292@sbcglobal.net 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No reason, just that he scored the 2nd most pionts in a basketball game in all of nba history
2006-08-01 12:07:44 · answer #10 · answered by ~~Slim Shady Rocks~~ 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋