View Full Version : Kobe is doin it again.
Amuseddaysleeper
01-23-2006, 11:55 AM
If kobe was so gung ho about gettin a championship he wouldnt have ran shaq out of town. there's a very solid chance he'll never be in another finals again. granted shaq is on a decline, but him and kobe still woulda made just as much ruckus today as they did earlier in the decade. they still woulda been competitive as oppose to kobe almost single handedly destroying the franchise that everyone loved to hate. as for AI, the guy is an egotistical moron and a loser. refusing to come off the bench?? one of the most classless things i've ever heard. AI is overrated and deserves to be banished to bottom half of the conference.
Medvedenko
01-23-2006, 11:57 AM
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
I haven't posted in this thread yet, just basking in the glory....I haven't even scored 80+ in an Xbox game...shit that was some crazy ass playing. Simply outstanding, will go down as a historic game....it's funny with all the comparisons, but what if Kobe did this early in his career and won the championships later...kind of the reverse of what has transpired. Would he be considered the best then...kind of puts it in perspective.
Oh, Gee!!
01-23-2006, 11:57 AM
If kobe was so gung ho about gettin a championship he wouldnt have ran shaq out of town.
Maybe Shaq wasn't too opposed to being run out of town.
1Parker1
01-23-2006, 12:03 PM
Maybe Shaq wasn't too opposed to being run out of town.
Seriously, I love how all the blame lies in Kobe. Amuseddaysleeper, I don't even want to bother getting into an argument with you over your post.
Medvedenko
01-23-2006, 12:05 PM
Who gives a shit for running shaq out of town...this is about Kobe destroying a team, nothing more, nothing less.
Amuseddaysleeper
01-23-2006, 12:05 PM
Maybe Shaq wasn't too opposed to being run out of town.
maybe but he's in a much better situation than kobe is, tho detroit will crush miami in the ecf. all i'm saying is that, kobe and shaq had the potential to win more than 3 rings. they shoulda worked out their differences. kobe almost single handedly destroyed any chances the lakers had of getting another win against the pistons in the 2004 finals by jakcing up ridiculous shots and "wasting" shaq's 30+ point in performance in game 4 i believe it was. if he wants to win so bad he needs to stop being so damn "uncoachable". having said all this, Kobe is easily one of the 5 greatest shooting guards to play the game and an underrated defender. wheras the t-mac's of the league are extremely one dimensional players. I dont question Kobe's desire to want to win, but I question his ego in stopping him from acheiving more team goals as oppose to individual ones
Amuseddaysleeper
01-23-2006, 12:07 PM
Seriously, I love how all the blame lies in Kobe. Amuseddaysleeper, I don't even want to bother getting into an argument with you over your post.
phil jackson left as well. the lakers havent been the same since. its one thing if him and shaq get along. but when you force the guy who has won 9 championships out of time and when one of the greatest coaches to ever coach the game calls you "uncoachable" you've got problems
i'm not saying shaq was gonna be worth what he was asking for down the line, cuz he IS breaking down. but kobe detroyed the lakers. simple as that.
leemajors
01-23-2006, 12:08 PM
tmac is not one dimensional, he can play very good defense when he wants to - watch last year's tape of him shutting down dirk in the playoffs.
Amuseddaysleeper
01-23-2006, 12:10 PM
tmac is not one dimensional, he can play very good defense when he wants to - watch last year's tape of him shutting down dirk in the playoffs.
that is a good point, tmac did do well against the mavs though the rockets ended up choking anyway. i just dont think t-mac is 2/3 the player that Kobe is
Medvedenko
01-23-2006, 12:11 PM
What does this game have anything to do with running Shaq, or Phil out....Look Phil is back and the lakers will be a playoff team and with the right moves maybe make some noise come playoff time. I just can't wait until the Olympics when Kobe goes off for 50+ against the world's best.
leemajors
01-23-2006, 12:14 PM
i think kobe is better overall too but:
a.jvg would never let tmac take 46 shots
b.tmac's back problems are really holding him back
Amuseddaysleeper
01-23-2006, 12:16 PM
What does this game have anything to do with running Shaq, or Phil out....Look Phil is back and the lakers will be a playoff team and with the right moves maybe make some noise come playoff time. I just can't wait until the Olympics when Kobe goes off for 50+ against the world's best.
no no i'm not talkin about last night's game. kobe was a GOD last night! i mean the raps were up 18 or something so i TURNED OFF THE TV thinking they'd win cuz the game seemed kinda boring. then a couple hours later i checked the score online an dkobe goes off for 81 points, giving one of the greatest performances in basketball history, but i'm too busy dickin around on the guitar and playing video games! (faints)
we're talkin about the subject of kobe rather having 81 points than goin for another ring. i think kobe would LOVE to win a ring without shaq. but i dont think thats going to happen, and its been a HUGE fall from grace for him (not counting the rape scandal) its almost frustrating that such a good talent like bryant has chosen his own fate wasting away on a sub par team. granted he deserves to be a top 10 mention for MVP as in the last 20 years of b-ball, i cant think of a team that was so "one vs five" as kobe vs. the rest of the nba and yet he can still get them a playoff seed. so for that i tip my hat off. but ripping apart the lakers, and destroying almost any chance he has of winning another championship (also factor in that out of all the players in the league, it wouldn't surprise im if kobe was voted as on of the 5 players nba players would least likely want to play with) i cant imagine them keeping too many FA's
Medvedenko
01-23-2006, 12:20 PM
It's difficult for the Lakers to keep Shaq when he wanted 30 million per year for the next 5 years....what would you do...trade Kobe and keep shaq and watch him struggle like he's doing and maybe give you 2-3 years left. Of course I would like Shaq and Kobe to play nice and win rings every year, but that didn't happen. What's happening is the rebuilding of a dynasty and it doesn't happen overnight. All the Lakers need is some decent shooter and better than average bangers and defenders and they'll be alright.
1Parker1
01-23-2006, 12:21 PM
Why is it that any thread about Kobe immediately gets redirected towards Kobe vs Shaq, Kobe=Ballhog, Lakers suck, Kobe is overated, etc.
Like I said earlier, as basketball fans, just appreciate an 81 point performance by a single player. I don't care who scored it, how many assists he had, or anything else. That's good basketball right there.
leemajors
01-23-2006, 12:23 PM
What does this game have anything to do with running Shaq, or Phil out....Look Phil is back and the lakers will be a playoff team and with the right moves maybe make some noise come playoff time. I just can't wait until the Olympics when Kobe goes off for 50+ against the world's best.
agreed, i think kobe will be a terror for opposing teams in the olympics, should be great to watch. tho it will be interesting to see what he is allowed to do and how it will affect the other players on the team.
Amuseddaysleeper
01-23-2006, 12:31 PM
Why is it that any thread about Kobe immediately gets redirected towards Kobe vs Shaq, Kobe=Ballhog, Lakers suck, Kobe is overated, etc.
Like I said earlier, as basketball fans, just appreciate an 81 point performance by a single player. I don't care who scored it, how many assists he had, or anything else. That's good basketball right there.
no one's doubting the amazing performance last night. we arent even discussing it in the last page or so. we're discussing a different topic entirely.
Hey, I'm not knocking a great performance. But the fact remains that this has been an ongoing trend for the past several weeks, where the rest of the team basically stands around, while Kobe jacks up shot after shot.
That is not going to help the team in the long run, and they're not going to win a championship any time in the near future with this bullshit. I don't mind a out of mind performance once in a while, but going with this style every game???
And how in the heck do we find out how good Odom can be for us getting 8 points in one game? I just don't like where the Laker franchise is heading with this.
Trust me, Phil is NOT happy with this, although getting a win is nice.
Couldn't have said this better myself. And this is coming from a Laker fan too !!1!one!
Oh, Gee!!
01-23-2006, 12:37 PM
It's difficult for the Lakers to keep Shaq when he wanted 30 million per year for the next 5 years....what would you do...trade Kobe and keep shaq and watch him struggle like he's doing and maybe give you 2-3 years left. Of course I would like Shaq and Kobe to play nice and win rings every year, but that didn't happen. What's happening is the rebuilding of a dynasty and it doesn't happen overnight. All the Lakers need is some decent shooter and better than average bangers and defenders and they'll be alright.
yep, the Lakers had to go with the stronger legs. Shaq is breaking down (witness sub-standard centers like Rasho guarding him) while Kobe is just getting started.
Bloodline666
01-23-2006, 01:49 PM
If I'm not mistaken, this is only the SECOND occurance in the NBA of a player scoring more than 70 points in a game since the three-point line was introduced to the league. First occurance since then, of course, was David Robinson's 71-point game on the last day of the regular season. We all know Kobe's the first guard to surpass 70 in a game. I think he's the first to surpass 70 in a game with three-point shots. Although I doubt it, does anyone know if The Admiral made or even attempted any 3-pointers in his 71-point game (I know it's a stupid question, but I just thought I'd ask, because I didn't see that game...)
Sportcamper
01-23-2006, 02:15 PM
Some of you are so focused on the Shaq-Kobe drama and not on the athleticism, grit & determination of the greatest player currently in the NBA...May I suggest that your posts would be better served to writing reviews on "Brokeback Mountain" in the Club section... :smokin
ABDENOUR POWER
01-23-2006, 03:27 PM
Kobe is unreal.
420spurdog
01-23-2006, 03:49 PM
If Kobeatch keeps this up, three quarters of the way through the season he will be done. He's not a youngster anymore. Enjoy it while it lasts Laker fan. He'll be trashed before the playoffs. Then what do you do?
Old School Chic
01-23-2006, 04:07 PM
If Kobeatch keeps this up, three quarters of the way through the season he will be done. He's not a youngster anymore. Enjoy it while it lasts Laker fan. He'll be trashed before the playoffs. Then what do you do?
I would trade Tim Duncan for Kobe today, if at all possible.
Tim Is just playing like shit!
leemajors
01-23-2006, 04:15 PM
you would like to take away our only option in the post?
Old School Chic
01-23-2006, 04:19 PM
you would like to take away our only option in the post?
:spin
Cant_Be_Faded
01-23-2006, 06:03 PM
*observes the aftermath of a tpark chode explosion*
Aggie Hoopsfan
01-23-2006, 08:07 PM
And they even can't get the 70 pts. Damn Timmy can't get through 20 this year many times.
What's your point Aggie?
I guess the underlying point is that Tim doesn't have to get to 70 or 80 because he didn't fuck up his franchise for the sake of his ego.
polandprzem
01-24-2006, 03:33 AM
I guess the underlying point is that Tim doesn't have to get to 70 or 80 because he didn't fuck up his franchise for the sake of his ego.
shhheeesh what is has got to do with the record?
milkyway21
01-24-2006, 04:09 AM
Why is it that any thread about Kobe immediately gets redirected towards Kobe vs Shaq, Kobe=Ballhog, Lakers suck, Kobe is overated, etc.
Like I said earlier, as basketball fans, just appreciate an 81 point performance by a single player. I don't care who scored it, how many assists he had, or anything else. That's good basketball right there.yup :tu i agree.
Kobe made headlines again but his time it's for good- 81 pts????? wow:wow
among these NBA greats?
Wilt Chamberlain, PHI 100 3/2/1962 NY
[B]Kobe Bryant, LAL 81 1/22/2006 TOR [/BWilt Chamberlain, PHI 100 3/2/1962 NY
Kobe Bryant, LAL 81 1/22/2006 TOR
Wilt Chamberlain, PHI 79 12/8/1961 (3OT) LAL
Wilt Chamberlain, PHI 73 1/13/1962 CHI
Wilt Chamberlain, SF 73 11/16/1962 NY
David Thompson, DEN 73 4/9/1978 DET
Wilt Chamberlain, SF 72 11/3/1962 LAL
Elgin Baylor, LAL 71 11/15/1960 NY
David Robinson, SA 71 4/24/1994 LAC
Wilt Chamberlain, SF 70 3/10/1963 SYR
Wilt Chamberlain, PHI 79 12/8/1961 (3OT) LAL
Wilt Chamberlain, PHI 73 1/13/1962 CHI
Wilt Chamberlain, SF 73 11/16/1962 NY
David Thompson, DEN 73 4/9/1978 DET
Wilt Chamberlain, SF 72 11/3/1962 LAL
Elgin Baylor, LAL 71 11/15/1960 NY
David Robinson, SA 71 4/24/1994 LAC :lol(sorry Shaq)
Wilt Chamberlain, SF 70 3/10/1963 SYR
that's "something" someone shld rejoice and worth a hand for, whoever he is :tu
1Parker1
01-24-2006, 01:14 PM
Apparantly, Steve Kerr agrees about Kobe's insane performance.
More on Kobe: One-man Showtime
Sorry Chauncey Billups, Elton Brand, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki – you're no longer in the hunt for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. Kobe Bryant locked up the award Sunday night with his stunning 81-point barrage in the Los Angeles Lakers' come-from-behind victory over Toronto.
Think about that: 81 points! That's right, eighty-one. The second most points ever scored in a game in league history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain's record of 100. It was more than Michael Jordan ever scored and more than Oscar Robertson or Kareem Abdul-Jabaar ever had. It was as many or more than the Houston Rockets have scored 12 times this season.
Bryant's performance – especially since it rallied the Lakers from a second-half, 18-point deficit – ranks as the greatest show I have ever seen in the NBA. And I was in Cleveland back in 1990 with the Cavaliers when Jordan scored his career-high of 69. (I had two points.) I never thought I'd see anyone top that. But Kobe did.
The scary thing is that we all should have seen this coming. Since Dec. 20, Kobe is averaging 43.4 points per game. In his 62-point outing against Dallas, Bryant didn't even play in the fourth quarter. How much would he have scored had the game been close? On Thursday in Sacramento, he had an off night – and still scored 51.
His point totals have been so ridiculous that his 37-point effort in Phoenix on Friday was barely noticed. For almost anyone else, 37 would be a career night. For Kobe? It's a subpar game.
The question now is how high the bar should be raised. Is 90 points a possibility? Think about how preposterous that sounds, yet Kobe has actually made it a valid question. What if the Lakers play the Suns – who scored 149 points Sunday night and still lost – and Bryant gets hot? Then what? Could he score 100?
The man is virtually unguardable. His shooting range goes way beyond the three-point line, and his ball-handling ability allows him to get to any spot on the floor. His strength and fearlessness puts him at the free-throw line time and again, and his steely nature at the end of games makes him lethal in the clutch. He is a basketball machine.
What this all means is that Bryant has to win the NBA's MVP award. Brand was the early-season favorite after his fast start, and Nash has been mentioned as a repeat winner for leading the Suns to first place in the Pacific Division. Nowitzki also deserves consideration for his play and for the success of the Mavericks. But Kobe has elevated his game to an entirely different level – one that has rarely been seen in the history of the NBA.
He is far and away the best player in the league, and he deserves to be honored. After the show he put on Sunday, can anyone argue that he's not the MVP?
Trainwreck2100
01-24-2006, 01:21 PM
Apparantly, Steve Kerr agrees about Kobe's insane performance.
Steve Kerr though clutch and a good pbp guy has never been good in print
FromWayDowntown
01-24-2006, 02:43 PM
I think he's the first to surpass 70 in a game with three-point shots. Although I doubt it, does anyone know if The Admiral made or even attempted any 3-pointers in his 71-point game (I know it's a stupid question, but I just thought I'd ask, because I didn't see that game...)
For the record, David was 1-2 on three pointers in his 71-point game.
San Antonio (112) @ LA Clippers (97) 04/24/94
San Antonio (112)
POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA TGM-TGA ORB-TRB AS ST BL TO PF TP
Cummings,Terry F 22 2-10 1- 2 0- 0 6-12 2 0 0 1 0 5
Rodman,Dennis F 36 4- 5 0- 0 0- 0 3-17 3 1 1 2 1 8
Robinson,David C 44 26-41 18-25 1- 2 4-14 5 0 2 8 2 71
Del Negro,Vinny G 26 1- 3 0- 0 0- 0 0- 2 6 4 0 2 2 2
Daniels,Lloyd G 25 2- 7 0- 0 0- 2 0- 2 1 2 1 3 2 4
Knight,Negele 24 3- 6 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 5 0 1 0 2 6
Floyd,Sleepy 23 1- 5 1- 4 1- 2 1- 5 6 0 0 4 3 4
Carr,Antoine 24 2- 2 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 0 1 0 0 1 4
Reid,J.R. 12 2- 6 2- 2 0- 0 3- 4 0 0 0 1 2 6
Haley,Jack 4 1- 2 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 0 0 0 0 2 2
TOTALS 240 44-87 22-33 2- 6 17-58 28 8 5 21 17 112
FG %: .506 FT %: .667 Three %: .333 Team Rebs: 10 Team TOs: 0
LA Clippers (97)
POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA TGM-TGA ORB-TRB AS ST BL TO PF TP
Wilkins,Dominique F 21 6-17 3- 4 1- 3 0- 1 2 1 0 1 2 16
Vaught,Loy F 25 7-10 2- 2 0- 0 2- 4 1 0 0 0 4 16
Spencer,Elmore C 5 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 0 0 1 1 2 0
Jackson,Mark G 16 1- 6 0- 0 0- 1 2- 3 6 2 0 0 0 2
Harper,Ron G 20 2- 6 0- 0 0- 0 0- 3 0 1 1 4 0 4
Martin,Bob 20 1- 2 0- 0 0- 0 0- 4 1 0 2 1 4 2
Outlaw,Charles 27 2- 5 0- 0 0- 0 3- 6 0 1 3 1 6 4
Dehere,Terry 28 10-17 4- 4 2- 3 2- 3 2 1 0 2 0 26
Grant,Gary 14 2- 4 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 4 2 0 2 0 4
Ellis,Harold 27 6-15 2- 4 0- 1 1- 6 0 2 0 0 5 14
Williams,John 19 1- 4 0- 0 0- 2 0- 4 2 2 0 2 2 2
Woods,Randy 18 1- 9 4- 6 1- 8 2- 3 5 2 0 2 3 7
TOTALS 240 39-95 15-20 4-18 12-39 23 14 7 16 28 97
FG %: .411 FT %: .750 Three %: .222 Team Rebs: 8 Team TOs: 0
San Antonio 20 17 32 43 -- 112
LA Clippers 19 16 32 30 -- 97
Officials: HOLLINS, MIDDLETON, FINE
Attendance: 16005 Time of Game: 2:09
ChumpDumper
01-24-2006, 03:06 PM
Kobe's game is being shown on NBAtv right now if anyone cares to see it.
Mixability
01-24-2006, 03:41 PM
Kobe's game is being shown on NBAtv right now if anyone cares to see it.
T Pork is whacking off to it as we speak... :lol
Sportman
01-24-2006, 04:17 PM
All my life, i would prefer a TEAM than a selfish player, who only play for the show business.
ShoogarBear
01-24-2006, 05:57 PM
San Antonio 20 17 32 43 -- 112
LA Clippers 19 16 32 30 -- 97
Damn, how can people complain about DRob running up the score that game? They only had a two-point lead going into the 4th.
polandprzem
01-25-2006, 02:43 AM
Bryant's brilliant performance is one for the ages
Jan. 24, 2006
By Steve Aschburner
Special to CBS SportsLine.com
Tell Steve your opinion!
http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/9184049/1
Blistering Toronto for 81 points Sunday, Kobe Bryant still fell 19 points short of Wilt Chamberlain's biggest single scoring night. And he doesn't figure to approach the Big Dipper's other legendary round number -- the 20,000 partners Chamberlain indelicately and outrageously claimed to have frolicked with.
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Given the problems Bryant had a couple of summers ago with just one of those, he isn't going to want to get anywhere near Wilt's off-court boast total.
In terms of on-the-court excellence, though, Bryant's performance in the Lakers' 122-104 victory was stunning in the context of the NBA of 2005-06:
When Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pa., on that March night in 1962, NBA teams averaged 118.8 across the league. His Warriors team, which scored 169 points in that game, averaged 122.7. Nowadays, teams average 96.6 points and the Lakers were at 97.8 when they stepped on the floor Sunday. So Bryant got closer to matching his team's average than Chamberlain did.
The Lakers, en masse, have failed to score 81 points in five games this season. The other 29 NBA teams have combined for 83 other games in which they didn't post 81.
Bryant outscored the Raptors in the second half, all by himself, 55-41. When Chamberlain scored 59 of his 100 after halftime, the Knicks at least managed 79.
Bryant outscored Toronto's starting lineup, 81-80. But then, so did Wilt vs. Richie Guerin and the Knicks, 100-91.
Chamberlain, after his 100-point night, wound up averaging 50.4 points in that 1961-62 season. Bryant, after scoring 81, was averaging 35.9 points, meaning he topped his average by a far bigger percentage than the Dipper did.
Bryant planted a flag high on the NBA's Mount Everest of scoring, second only to Chamberlain's triple-digit dazzler. He scored 10 more than Elgin Baylor at his best, 12 more than Michael Jordan, 13 more than Pistol Pete Maravich and 17 more than Rick Barry on his hot night in Oakland in 1974. George Mikan never scored more than 61, and neither did Karl Malone. Larry Bird topped out at 60.
Half the fun of Bryant's fireworks Sunday was the reactions throughout the NBA. These jaded millionaires, rarely impressed by anything short of a Maybach sedan or a Victoria's Secret model, sounded like little kids and gushing fans when asked about Bryant's stunner.
"How many minutes did he play, 42? If he had an overtime game, maybe (100 would be possible)," New Jersey guard Jason Kidd said.
"Wow. That's all I can say," Kidd's teammate, Vince Carter, said.
Detroit's Chauncey Billups said: "If you have it going, you're supposed to keep it going. ... Unbelievable."
"Everybody was calling," said Miami guard Dwyane Wade, who got updates by cell phone while dining at a restaurant. "Everybody called every player in the league."
Added Heat forward Antoine Walker: "Somebody gets 81 on me, I'm going to clothesline him."
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"You hate to be on the negative side of history, but you've got to give credit where credit is due," Toronto's Jalen Rose said. "It's going to be talked about, viewed, analyzed, overanalyzed for a long time. Unfortunately, we're going to be on the wrong side of the analysis."
Said Bird, Celtics legend turned Pacers president: "That's wild, that is really wild. It would be hard to believe if you didn't know it was true."
Coach Rick Carlisle, whose Indiana team got torched by Bryant not so long ago, said, "I don't feel so bad about the 45 he got on us now."
And coach Mike Montgomery's Golden State team, which is next in Bryant's crosshairs Friday: "I wish we had King Kong (to guard him). Anything we can do, we'll do."
Not all of the reaction, however, was happy-happy, joy-joy. To a lot of Bryant's critics, his 81-point splurge simply solidified his reputation as a me-first player, a stats-monger and a shaky teammate.
(Did Chamberlain face similar charges of selfishness when he was dominating scoreboards?)
Some coaches and players wondered about the message sent to youngsters who might be prone to imitate the gun-slinging. Someone even worried, half-seriously, that the next guy who tries it might hurt his shoulder or elbow jacking up so many shots.
One other group was troubled by the media mania that surrounded Bryant's scoring outburst: historians. It's bad enough that, given our culture, the average consumer's long-term memory dates back to, oh, the 2004 Golden Globe awards. But Bryant has the benefit of videotape, DVDs, satellite TV, downloadable files and streaming media. Chamberlain's monster night wasn't even televised, and a full tape of the radio broadcast isn't known to exist.
A lot of scoring pyrotechnics took place before technology could duly record it all. So let's not be too hasty to anoint the Lakers' shooting guard as the greatest or even most dazzling scorer of all-time. A little perspective is in order:
Chamberlain played 48 games in his career in which he scored 59 points or more. Bryant has done that twice.
Wilt scored 50 or more in five consecutive games in 1961-62 -- and he put together four such streaks that season, ranging from five to seven games.
Bryant's current scoring average (35.9), if it holds up through April, would rank seventh all-time for a full season. But Baylor strung together three consecutive seasons of 34.8 points, 38.3 and 34.0 to lay claim as the great Lakers scorer ever.
When David Robinson went for 71 on April 24, 1994, he did so in pursuit of a scoring title, boosting himself (29.8) past Shaquille O'Neal (29.3). Even more impressive, David Thompson and George Gervin duked it out for a scoring crown a thousand miles apart on April 9, 1978. San Antonio's "Iceman" got 63 at New Orleans on the same day that Thompson, in Detroit, scored 73. Gervin thus edged the Denver Nuggets star, 27.21 points per game to 27.15.
Thompson's big night might, in fact, be one of the NBA's greatest forgotten achievements. He took 38 shots in that game and made 28, and he hit 17 of his 18 free throws. Bryant, by comparison, needed 46 shots to make 28.
Also, Thompson didn't have the benefit of the 3-point line. Seven of Bryant's field goals came from behind the arc so, flashing back to 1978, his point total would have dropped from 81 to 74.
Then there was Thompson's 6-foot-4 height. If Bryant, at 6-7, gets style points over Chamberlain by standing about 6 inches shorter than the Dipper, Thompson deserves a few himself for being shorter than Bryant, Gervin and even Jordan.
Thompson, whose career fell prey to drugs and alcohol, essentially flamed out at age 30, and the NBA doesn't even list him in the "All-Time Greatest Players" section of its annual register.
But there was a time when he was Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan. Bryant will have to settle for being Jordan after Jordan, which still isn't too bad. Steve Aschburner covers the NBA and the Minnesota Timberwolves for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Check out the page 2 on ESPN
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060124
AchillesHeel
09-18-2013, 08:31 AM
The girl in colorado had better defense than these guys.
:lol
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