The secret of Kobe’s 81 points: ‘Phil Jackson didn’t want him to reach 100’

NBA history was made on January 22, 2006. Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Raptors in what was the second-highest score ever in the best league in the world. And the first if we refer to the television images, given that of the 100 of Wilt Chamberlain in 1962 we have no visual documents other than the party file. It was a majestic performance that Kobe put together with 28-of-46 shooting from the field, 7-of-13 from 3-point range, and 18-of-20 from free throws. The escort climbed to 55 points in the second half alone and eliminated the Raptors, who the Lakers beat 122-104 on a magical nightunique and that will remain forever in the retina of enthusiasts.

2005-2006 was a resurrection season for Kobe. After the departure of Shaquille O’Neal in 2004 and the absence of the playoffs, the return of Phil Jackson has encouraged the Lakers. The Zen master he found himself with a really poor team besides Kobe (some important pieces like Lamar Odom, but also Luke Walton, Devean George, Sasha Vujacic, Smush Parker…) and without much idea of ​​his famous offensive triangle, that’s why he asked Kobe to let go And boy did it: 35.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals to enter the best quintet of the season and the best defensive quintet at the same time. Some numbers from another era that have left him at the level of the greatest.

During that course, Kobe had 20+ points 21 times, 30+ in 29, 40+ in 21 and 50+ in 6. There were only three nights where the guard dropped below 20 points; and converted 2800 total points, an absolute barbarism that came together with great defensive power and a 45-37 record, bettering the previous year’s result by 11 wins. And he shot 45% from the field, an incredible number for attempting more than 27 shots a game. an extraordinary season which ended in the first round against the Suns, despite the Lakers dominating the series 3-1 … and that Kobe went to 50 points in the sixth round. In the Arizona team there was, among other things, a Steve Nash who won an MVP that year to which Kobe did not opt ​​for the position of the Lakers (seventh in the West), being relegated to fourth position.

One night… with a lot of history?

That January 22, 2006 is famous for Kobe Bryant’s 81 points, but there are those who have taken care of creating some controversy with the situation. It was John Salley, a former Pistons, Bulls and Lakers player, in the last two under the command of Phil Jackson. The former center in the statements collected by the portal Lakers newspaper, assures that the Zen Master sat down the shooting guard because he didn’t want him to break Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point record. Salley revealed a private conversation with the coach in which he tells him that “there are records that need to be kept”. “It’s number 2. It doesn’t have to be number 1″. Words that, of course, Phil Jackson did not confirm and that only came out of Salley’s mouth.

Believing the story is audacious at best. On December 20, Kobe scored 62 points against the Mavericks in just three quarters (the Texans then had 61) and, on that occasion, there was some controversy. Phil Jackson did not submit Kobe again in that game despite pleas from Staples, who chanted his name. No one knows how many points he might have had that day, but he had just scored 30 in the third quarter and was absolutely on track. That didn’t happen on 81-point day, in which Kobe spent nearly 42 minutes on the track. And finally got out at the last minute after breaking the record and receiving a deafening ovation from the Staples Center. With 6 more minutes on the court, he could have scored more, but Salley is convinced that Kobe would have reached 104 points that night, which is hard to imagine. Sure, he had 27 in the third quarter, 28 in the last quarter, and 81 overall. A performance that, gossip aside, is absolutely historic.