<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Is 81 enough? Eighty-One, people. I'd say so. I'd say all those pre-Christmas wails about Kobe Bryant ripping us off by hanging 62 points on the Dallas Mavericks in three quarters and then sitting out the fourth can suddenly be recalled with a chuckle. Turns out Kobe's Dec. 20 detonation was not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for No. 8 to make a run at 80-something points. No one was cheated after all. Maybe Kobe and his pal Phil Jackson, when they reached that joint decision to stop abusing the Mavs because the Lakers were up by 34, knew they wouldn't have to wait long for another chance at it during an up-for-grabs game. Why not? You can believe anything on a night like this. Kobe's chance dutifully materialized almost exactly a month later, on a Sunday that was supposed to belong to gridiron football. You know. The table-setter for Super Bowl Extra Large and all that. Sorry, NFL. Sunday will be remembered as the best NBA day in a long, long time. There was a nationally televised buzzer beater in Minnesota from Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala to cap a 19-point comeback in the afternoon ... and then Seattle's Ray Allen beat Phoenix with a way-out buzzer bomb at the horn of overtime No. 2 in a 152-149 throwback thriller ... and then simply the greatest individual performance ever recorded: Bryant's 81 points in a 122-104 come-from-behind victory over the Toronto Raptors. You'll recall that, sadly, there's no footage of Wilt Chamberlain rumbling for 100 points in Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962. Which makes it tough to commission an in-depth analysis comparing Wilt's feat (scoring 100 of his team's 169 points that day) to Kobe's (81 of 122). But I'll gladly settle for the forthcoming flood of Kobe replays, in which you'll see him haul the Lakers back from a 71-53 deficit against a Raps team that kept the game sufficiently close in the final quarter to keep Kobe out there shooting. Against a Toronto team that somehow held him to 11 points when the teams met in early December -- historic footage now -- Bryant wound up with 55 points after halftime. Fifty-five. For a little perspective, please note that matches the best scoring game in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career. That's the same Abdul-Jabbar who, before becoming a Lakers assistant coach, was merely the NBA's all-time scoring leader. Don't forget, furthermore, that no less an authority than Michael Jordan has been known to say that a perimeter player has it way tougher when it comes to making a legitimate run at Wilt's record. Factor in the ball-handling responsibilities and the energy required to play defense all over the floor and you can understand MJ's theory. This might also help back it up: Jordan himself topped out at 69 points as his one-night best and needed overtime to get there. No offense to the late, great Chamberlain, but he was in a better position to dominate a box score with the size and strength advantage he possessed, especially in Wilt's era. Some of you will inevitably counter with the claim that Kobe had the benefit of a 3-point line, but don't exaggerate. Having the long-ball option added only seven points to Bryant's total. With a mere 74, he'd still have registered the richest single-game scoring output in NBA history by anyone not named Wilt. With 81, so soon after so many opined that he had blown his chance to ever scrape that stratosphere, Bryant has reminded us what we all should know by now about him. Whatever you think about the game's foremost love-him-or-loathe-him face, and the ongoing debate about how much he shoots, you always have to be ready for What's Next with No. 8. Chances are it'll be something to dissect for days and days. Chances are, on the thinnest and neediest team in Jackson's ring-filled history, it won't be the last time Kobe has the forum to fling 40-something shots at history.</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...marc&id=2302749
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobimel:</div><div class="quote_post">Umm...actually, Kobe scored 21, not 7, from beyond the arc...</div> Yes... but his point was that Kobe benefitted from being able to hit threes... if he could only make twos then he would have had 7 points less. Get it?
Kobe's game was far superior to Wilt's, not just in my mind, I think in many people's mind. First of all, Wilt played in an era that offense dominated the games and the lowest scoring team averaged 111. Second of all, Wilt was a big man. That makes it easier to score baskets. Kobe is a guard. He has to worry about defense, ball-handling, and then offense. Guards put out a lot more energy than bigmen do. Finally, Kobe did it in today's league. A league that in the past has struggled to see offense. Kobe single-handedly won that game and put on the best performance the NBA has ever seen. Simply amazing.
I am sorry but Wilt wasnt a swingman. Wilt was a dominant center. Kobe is a freaking guard. I am sorry. But Wilt is no Kobe!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Fiyah:</div><div class="quote_post">Yes... but his point was that Kobe benefitted from being able to hit threes... if he could only make twos then he would have had 7 points less. Get it?</div> I'm not sure if that's what he meant, but good point. Anyway, great individual performance by Kobe, even better than Wilt's IMO. Wilt did it against much smaller guys than him; he dominated easily with his size and strength. Scoring 100 points for him against guys half a foot smaller than him, back in the days when scoring was much easier than today, is arguably a lesser accomplishment than scoring 81 without a huge size advantage and against tougher defenses (not that the Raptors' defense is great, but it IS better than the defense in the 60's).
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobimel:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not sure if that's what he meant, but good point. </div> That's what he meant.
It was a great performance, but because Wilt and Kobe play in total different leagues, so don't start saying that one performance was better than the other. Kobe also had the benefit of playing against one of the league's worst teams and defenses.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting virve119:</div><div class="quote_post">It was a great performance, but because Wilt and Kobe play in total different leagues, so don't start saying that one performance was better than the other. Kobe also had the benefit of playing against one of the league's worst teams and defenses.</div> It doesn't matter what defense he was against, 81 points is 81 points. Jesus Christ, that concept isn't hard to understand. Wilt played in an ERA where defense was non-existant. The lowest average that a team scored a game was 111, that's pathetic. Talk about defense.
I really think that sometimes people should get a better understanding of things before making certain statements. wilt played against several good big men and the whole league tried to stop him. wilt was a pioneer that helped paved the way for kobe. you'll are an ungrateful bunch to citicize men like him who endured unbelievable racism to pave the way for blacks. Do you understand that before wilts 100 point game that the nba only had one tv contract and were on the verge of losing it. wilts 100 point game though not televised flooded the nba with media contracts and saved the whole freaking league!!! how ungrateful to say the things that are being said about him in comparison with kobe without him kobe would not be here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<div class="quote_poster">knieval1 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I really think that sometimes people should get a better understanding of things before making certain statements. wilt played against several good big men and the whole league tried to stop him. wilt was a pioneer that helped paved the way for kobe. you'll are an ungrateful bunch to citicize men like him who endured unbelievable racism to pave the way for blacks. Do you understand that before wilts 100 point game that the nba only had one tv contract and were on the verge of losing it. wilts 100 point game though not televised flooded the nba with media contracts and saved the whole freaking league!!! how ungrateful to say the things that are being said about him in comparison with kobe without him kobe would not be here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</div> Okayyyy, I read everything and seemed to me people just comparing the two game, Kobe's 81 vs Wilt's 100 points game, not about who is better or who does more to the nba or whatever that is. Personally, both feats were great but I believe Kobe's 81 is definitely much tougher to accomplish. But at the end of the day, I don't care how they score or how hard they do it, it's all about points. And to me with a good math knowledge 100 > 81!
<div class="quote_poster">knieval1 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I really think that sometimes people should get a better understanding of things before making certain statements. wilt played against several good big men and the whole league tried to stop him. wilt was a pioneer that helped paved the way for kobe. you'll are an ungrateful bunch to citicize men like him who endured unbelievable racism to pave the way for blacks. Do you understand that before wilts 100 point game that the nba only had one tv contract and were on the verge of losing it. wilts 100 point game though not televised flooded the nba with media contracts and saved the whole freaking league!!! how ungrateful to say the things that are being said about him in comparison with kobe without him kobe would not be here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</div> no offense to you, but we are talking strictly points...I don't see how at all that the racial issue could've made it harder for Wilt to score...so yeah true and touching story, but nothing to do with the scoring. And also, don't be calling people ungrateful, you don't know us.
<div class="quote_poster">TheBlackMamba Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">It doesn't matter what defense he was against, 81 points is 81 points. Jesus Christ, that concept isn't hard to understand. Wilt played in an ERA where defense was non-existant. The lowest average that a team scored a game was 111, that's pathetic. Talk about defense.</div> 111 average score? NOw that is pretty pathetic if you ask me.. LOL... 81>100
<div class="quote_poster">TheBlackMamba Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">First of all, Wilt played in an era that offense dominated the games and the lowest scoring team averaged 111. -cut Finally, Kobe did it in today's league. A league that in the past has struggled to see offense. Kobe single-handedly won that game and put on the best performance the NBA has ever seen. Simply amazing.</div> <div class="quote_poster">TheBlackMamba Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">It doesn't matter what defense he was against, 81 points is 81 points. Jesus Christ, that concept isn't hard to understand. Wilt played in an ERA where defense was non-existant. The lowest average that a team scored a game was 111, that's pathetic. Talk about defense.</div> lol. I'm not even going to talk about the defense comparison, the hypocrisy should seem evident just by reading the bolded part. Anyway, as far as "in the past the league has had trouble on offense". That doesn't seem very logical, sure, quite a few years ago, but today a 100ppg is peanuts pending on team to team. And, kobe did score that against arguably the worst defensive team in the league. But oh, what defense he played against doesn't matter. Sorry, I forgot, so lets go demean Wilt's preformance because of the quality of defense back then.
Did anyone forget that Wilt's 100 pts were score in the paint when back then there was no 3 second rule. Wilt just stand in the paint and waited for rebounds, and passes near the basket where he would just jump and tip it inside. He would jump against players smaller than him. Wilt's 100 points was great at his time and era. But in today's game Kobe's 81 points is now the best of all time. 81 > 100
<div class="quote_poster">Trench Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">111 average score? NOw that is pretty pathetic if you ask me.. LOL... </div> Maybe the players back then were better shooters and had a higher FG%. IF that was the case, it wasn't pathetic.
<div class="quote_poster">phunDamentalz Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Maybe the players back then were better shooters and had a higher FG%. IF that was the case, it wasn't pathetic.</div> maybe, but cmon', HIGHLY impossible they were better shooters back then... It's just lack of defense, guess every1 had Kobes ability to score at will....
