Today marks 16 years since the late Kobe Bryant scored a historic 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006. Bryant scored 55 in the first half and 26 points in the second. The Lakers won with a final score of 122 to 104.
Bryant’s record of 81 points is the second most points in a single game in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlin’s 100 points in his 1962 game with the Philadelphia Warriors (169) against the New York Knicks (147) continues the lead the league with the most points ever.
Jalen Rose shared on a January 2022 episode of “Jalen and Jacoby” his experiences guarding Kobe Bryant and being a part of the historic game. In the episode, Rose also speaks about the ESPN commercial that was produced with Kobe Bryant, and how his historic 81 points were referenced as an insider joke.
