I think Thompson and Maravic (sp?) and even Baylor have a point. They didn't have the 3 point line, and if they knew it would be an issue maybe they could have gone for 80 in a game. Oh well. Good to note. But they didn't. Respect all around. Damn. It's not like 81 makes 73 or 68 worthless.

The fact that Kobe did it with the three point line makes it even more impressive, because do you think Wilt could even approach 40% from LONG RANGE? Kobe did it without having a size advantage, but if anybody knows anything about "cognitive dissonance" (google it), it should be obvious why there are still detractors even after that amazing performance.

I was there, by the way, standing almost the whole 4th quarter.

Vince Carter talking about ‘the kids’ and team play? Vince Carter!?! This has gone far enough...as a society and sports fans, Kobe Bryant should be respected and appreciated as one of the great sports figures of our time. The Kobe hating is simply ignorance and jealousy.

I was totally excited about the first set of reactions to Kobe scoring 81 but now I'm just pissed off. We live in a society of the most negative, judgmental people I have ever seen. I can't believe that people don't understand how awesome this was. I didn't understand how awesome an accomplishment it was until I watched the game. It wasn't ball hogging it was points scored in the flow of a game. It was still five on five basketball, Kobe just made the shots. The team won the game with defense and passing and steals and blocks and hustle in the second half of the game. I could care less about Kobe's private/not so private life. And many of the folks who criticize him are worse people than he could ever be, there's just no spotlight shining brightly on their lives. But Kudos Kobe. You are definitely a man. If you were anything less you would have folded your tent and went home a year ago. Keep doing what you do, cause even the haters can't take away the evidence of your greatest on the basketball court. The truth is the truth whether people believe it or acknowlege it or not. The truth is Kobe is the best player in the NBA today.

Let's do simple Mathematics

Lets say we remove the three point shots from Kobe's total of 81.
He made 7 3 point shots, so lets subtract 7 points from his point total ( 81 - 7 = 74)

So you see Mr. David Thompson, 74 is still better than 73.

Kobe's performance is still better.

OK, there is a new ESPN report that Ron Artest only wants to come to LA to play for the Lakers or the Clippers. There is an article about all this at http://lakers.topbuzz.com and a poll where you can vote if you think the Lakers should go for it. Go read this and we should have a new debate on this blog if we think Ron should be a Laker.

as much is the 81 still amazes me. it also still amazes me how the haters are riding kobe for this accomplishment. the more i think about it, the crazier the 81 is, and thus the crazier it is to rip kobe for it! like 'jon' said, what if someone else scored 81? can you imagine what would happen if lebron had scored 81? the guy would automatically be hailed as 'he's gonna be the best ever for sure!". i read something funny in an article saying, had AI scored 81 we'd all be watching Oprah and talking about his huge personal growth haha.

even tho kobe is getting a lot of praise, he's getting at least an equal amount of haters.

people are just so judgemental. I agree with "A fan of cheese" we live in a world where people judge one another based on appearance or past events. It's shameful. Why won't people realize how great Kobe is? It's because they can't admit the fact that he's just Kobe. Kobe does what he wants. Get off his @#$#@ ! We have no right to judge a person. The day when Kobe sends the Lakers to Finals after Finals and winning the Championships perhaps 3 more times,

hopefully, people can shut up.

Everyone listen to:

Hate me Now

-Nas f. Puff Daddy

This song is dedicated to Kobe Bryant.

Phil was quoted in an LA Times article today saying Artest to the Lakers is probably not going to happen. You have to wonder how crazy Artest is if he’s deciding where he wants to go. I mean, how many times can the man slap Bird and Walsh in the face? I think the Lakers stick to their guns with a non-LO/Bynum deal. That has to be looking better and better every minute to the Pacers. I bet they even reconsider taking Maggette, foot problem and all. They need to dump Artest pronto because you can see how bad it’s effing up that team. How can the Pacers let Artest dictate these negotiations?!? I’d be so embarrassed. On the other hand, this is great for the Lakers. His value continues to drop and our deal looks sweeter and sweeter. Even better is how the Kings screwed Peja and he wants out too. I know the Lakers can’t afford him, but it’s nice to see anything bad happen to the Kings.

I don't think the comments here decrying Vince Carter as a hater are fair. From what I read, he was very positive about Kobe's performance, but worried that Kobe's performance might send kids the wrong message and take away from the importance of the team in basketball. He's obviously the wrong person for the message (since I guess he tanked a season to get of the Raptors not that I might not have done the same), but I think it's a worthwhile message.

Kobe's countermessage was pretty damn cool too. He told the kids that if they work hard they might even exceed their own expectations. Kobe's shown that hard work really does pay off. He's practiced so many weird shots and worked so hard that the shotmaking ability and stamina he gained by will alone allowed 81 to happen.

I don't think you can call Nowitzki a hater either. He was asked if he could score 81 and he said he didn't think that would be a good thing for his team (good answer), but it got all twisted around as if he'd said that about Kobe's performance.

Yesterday after reading what was probably my 70th article, I thought I had had my fill. Well, I'm still reading articles and it's not giving me a sick feeling or anything... It's nice to see the sports media latch onto a positive story here and go with it and it really is an event worth considering and analyzing every which way.

I'm not tired of the Ron Artest thread either. He's a fascinating character and wehre he goes will have a big impact in the NBA playoffs.

I read a really funny one yesterday from George Karl saying Carmelo's 37 versus the Raptors was even better than Kobe's performance (yeah I laughed too, but I laughed a little less loudly when I read further that Carmelo shot 81 percent--STILL NOT EVEN CLOSE THOUGH). As much as I respect Scotty Pippen, his comments seemed a little blinded by Jordan love since he talked about how fouls were called more lightly and how you had to work for every shot, but not about changes allowing more defensive flexibility.

More nitpickiness...

Kobe had 2 fouls beyond the arc so he actually got 9 points more due to the 3 point line (he made all 6 free throws he got from beyond the arc).

Someone said no NBA greats other than Magic were positive about Kobe's performance...

What about Elgin Baylor? He was very positive in his message through the Clippers organization even though Kobe broke his Lakers franchise scoring record.

The scoring giants of yesteryear are getting their panties in a bind for no reason. Nobody said Kobe's performance was better than theirs. He scored more points so it's not even really discussed at all. Heh. Being number 3 to Kobe and Wilt and number 2 only to Wilt for almost 30 years should leave a guy pretty happy and frankly Thompson just sounds petty trying to claim his performance is better. Let someone else have the spotlight because you had your time.

The most obvious story nobody wants to write. A list nobody will ever make. Who is the hardest working person in the NBA? Ask anybody in the NBA and the answer begins and ends with one name. There is no debate and no question. Kobe Bryant.

His single minded focus on basketball is legendary. As a teenager in high school, he would take his dates home to break down his game tapes. He is in the gym hours before anybody else and stays later than everybody.

Every year Kobe’s game changes. One year he added 15 pounds to play small forward. Another year he drops weight to play a faster game and longer minutes. He’ll added a post game to his repertoire. He’ll found a new way to split a double team. He’ll improve his jump shot. Come training camp, the biggest question is what did Kobe add to his game this year?

At present time, he is the only player in the NBA chasing greatness. LaBron, T-Mac, and Shaq may have great games but they have yet to show the effort it takes to be the greatest. To a large extent Kobe’s chase after greatness makes him the most polarizing figure in basketball. Criticism such as he doesn’t make teammates better, can only be made of a person chasing greatness. Who gets criticized for not making their teammates better. It’s a ridiculous statement. How does Kobe help Kwame catch a pass better? How can you help Kwame not miss a point blank lay-up. How do you help players make wide open jumpers? Kwame is actually in a unique position to be a barometer to judge how well Kobe makes his teammates better. He is the only player to have played with both Kobe and Jordan. We all know Jordan had an immensely negative impact on Kwame’s game and psyche. For all of Kwame’s short coming, he is playing better with Kobe than he has ever played with Jordan.

Only Kobe who is as harshly criticized for being selfish. There are countless players such as Iverson, Vince Carter, Antoine Walker who are as selfish and perhaps even more selfish than Kobe who don’t get criticized like Kobe. Players like that are accepted for who they are. Kobe invites criticism because he’s judged by a much higher standard.

The reason Kobe can’t play with Shaq is because Shaq doesn’t take the NBA seriously.
Year in and year out he starts the season out of shape. He never adds anything to his game. He never works on his free-throws. Instead of improving himself, he asks the GM to give him better teammates to play with. So this year, the Heat signs Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, and Gary Payton. When Dr. Jerry Buss needed to make a decision between Shaq and Kobe, Dr. Jerry Buss made the only decision he could make. One always has to go with Kobe because at the end of the day you know he will work harder than anyone to be a better baller. You always go with work ethic and heart.

In Kobe’s own words, "My message is that if you work hard, you can go beyond anyone's expectations, even your own." This is the message we should be sharing with our children when we watch Kobe play.

Andrew Z,

Totally, brother! Bird must be losing his mind right now, having this punkass trying to dictate the terms of the trade.

If I was Bird, right now, just to remind everyone of who he is, I'd say, "The trade is off. We're keeping Artest on the inactive list for the rest of the year."

Okay, next topic?

The haters have all lost their minds! When you have Greg Anthony, coming forward with an opinion, then all IS lost.

Dan Bickley, Jerry Greene, Greg Couch, Chuck Bausman. All of these Kobe-haters seem to have one thing in common: Nobody knows who they are or cares what they think. In the "I don't really care what they think" column, you can add Vince "Half-the Game-Half-Amazing" Carter, Scott "I'm the 17th Best Center to Ever Play with Michael Jordan" Williams, Antoine "Flagrant" Walker, David "You Give Me $73, I'll Give You $81 Back" Thompson, Pat "Gordon Gekko called and he wants his Pennzoil back" Riley, and Charles "What a Fool Am I -- Yes, You Are" Barkley.

As BK/AK pointed out, more than a few sports pundits that are giving Kobe's 81 "a thumb sideways."

That's okay though. '8' sideways looks a lot like infinity.

VINCE CARTER AND THE REST OF HATING PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE SHOULD SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT KOBE BRYANT'S 81 POINTS PERFORMANCE. DON'T BE JEALOUS THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT. ESPECIALLY VINCE CARTER. VINCE YOU HAVE JUST PROVEN TO YOURSELF HOW STUPID YOU ARE. YOU SAY IT'S BAD FOR KIDS THAT KOBE SCORES 81. THAT IT'S SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE WELL GUESS WHAT PAL? YOU'VE BEEN A HIPROCRITE ALL THIS TIME. VINCE JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE LIKE KOBE DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO TALK SMACK ON HIM. JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED AND KEEP SHOOTING MORE BRICKS BECAUSE THAT'S AS CLOSE AS YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO NUMBER 8.

I was watching ESPN NBA Coast-to-Coast last night and Greg Anthony gave major props to Kobe. He was the only person who gave entire comment that was all praises. I think this says a lot. Another thing that was debated was how AI has worn out his ball hogging ways in Philly and not only C-Webb but everyone else is sick of it. One of the commentators asked how it was different in LA and I believe Ric Bucher said it’s because Kobe’s teammates know how Kobe gives it everything he has at the other end of the floor and that goes a long way. Needless to say, if Kobe’s dedication rubs off just a bit on this current roster, we’re going to do some good things.

How many teams do you think that were in the “hunt” for Artest saw this little Suckramento debacle and totally drew their offer to the Pacers off the table? This is hilarious. I say Bird either gets the trade to go through to the Kings or they de-activate him for the year and try to move him in the off-season.

ARTEST HAS AGREED TO GO TO SACTOWN! AS REPORTED ON ESPN RADIO....( pending a conversation with the kings owner)...IT LOOKS LIKE he's going to queen town!

The job of a player is to do what it takes for his team to win. If that means he has to score 81 for the team to win, then that IS being a team player.

The hard part is determining when to sacrifice the current possession/game for the benefit of the future. I.e. do you keep passing it to Kwame/Smush/Sacha now, knowing that you might lose this game, or not do as well this season, but that in the long run the team will benefit. That would drive someone like Kobe (or Jordan) crazy, as competitive as they are, and that is where the coach needs to step in. And I'm sure that Phil doesn't hesitate to step in when he thinks it is necessary.

Anyone read this wacky article:

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/news_story.asp?ID=152159

Guy talks about Kobe's performance not being interesting because Kobe didn't seem into it.

How funny is that? Kobe, in my mind, flipped his emotional top and hugged Phil Jackson. If that's not an emotional outburst, I don't know what is. He didn't jump up in the air and swing his fist like Jordan, but he was too in the zone for something like that. Jordan was like a fighter, Kobe was a basketball assassin. The guy couldn't fully respond to his interview about it because it was so overwelming.

Mr. Vince Carter,

What an ignorant comment to make. First, if kids wanting to ball would try to emulate a mid-range shot, that would actually be good for the game.

Secondly, why was Jordan's 69 not bad, but Kobe's 81 is? Is it a matter of 12 points that will bend these kids impressionable minds. Let me see...no kid would try gunning for MJ's 69, but 81 has now warped their minds. I mean do you honestly think kids are going into bball games saying today, "I have to score 81 just like Kobe."

Thirdly, what concerned me more than Kobe's shooting exhibition was the inordinate amount of playground ballers trying to put their arms in the rims of the hoop after a dunk. Don't you think that warped kids minds moreso than showing an all-around shooting exercise like Kobe did? And don't you think you loading up to dunk a ball, windmilling, 360ing, etc is worse for impressionable kids than scoring 81 points?

Making your statement made you sound silly, petty, and juvenile...kinda like you were sippin on that haterade!! So just go back to all that stuff you do that is such a good influence on kids...like pouting when your team doesn't do well, half-assing it for an entire year so you can get traded, having theteam that nurtured you give you away for virtually nothing, deciding to play again after getting out of a situation you were at least partly responsible for creating...oh, and making them get rid of their best player b/c you didn't want to compete with cuz! you know, those things the kids can look up to!!!

First, I think the only people who should gripe about Kobe's 3-point assisted 81 points are those people who were guards who scored 72 or more points. How many people fit into that category? None.

Wilt, Thompson, Robinson, etc. still would have scored what they scored because they weren't shooting 25-30-footers anyway. Any person with that argument really needs to pull out a calculator and do some math. Kobe got 9 extra points from the 3-pointer (the shots plus the two extra free throws).

The only guy whose degree of difficulty matches what Kobe did is Jerry West. Jerry is the only old-era guy who regularly shot 30-footers. Kobe is the only modern era guy who regularly shoots 30-footers. BTW, do you know Kobe's shooting% on the DEEP 3-pointer is 50%? He's worse when he steps up to the 3-point line!

Don't sleep on Jerry. Remember, Chick used to call Jerry's jump shot the “30-foot lay-up”. He really is the only historical scorer who was robbed by the 3-point line to that degree. That's why Jerry understands Kobe. Jerry played the same way, and Jerry played with Hall of Fame players and he would STILL shoot all the shots in a game. He would dribble past half court, hoist a shot, turn around and be back on defense before the ball swished into the basket. Jerry was a PIMP on the court. Then, just to add insult to injury, he would lock-up your best scorer on the other end. Jerry KNEW and I mean KNEW that he could win the game all by himself.

Jerry gets Kobe. He's a GM and President now, so he's got to say all the correct "team first" stuff. But, if you actually watch his interviews about Kobe, and you can see the deep respect he has for the kid. That's why the only player/ex-player opinion about Kobe that I actually respect is from Jerry West. Mr. Logo.

Jerry would have scored 80 easy a couple of times if he had the 3-point line. Everyone else is just jealous. I can't believe that hypocrite Vince popped off about team play when he admitted that he put himself before not only a team, but a WHOLE city (province, country). He admitted as much. What a loser!

You want to know what the truth is?

Somewhere, sometime during that 81 points masterpiece by Kobe, "the heirs of MJ" (T-mac, AI, Lebron, Flash, Vinsanity etc...) all realised the same thing at the same time:
During their appreciation or hatred for the feat their inner voice painfully aknowledged, "I CAN'T DO THAT!"

And that my friends is called breaking your opponents will!

Numbers of Destiny

Let's have some fun with Kobe's numbers.

81, and now Mr. 81, are #8 and #1, the first time #8 and #1 are officially linked together.

Lakers were down by 18, Kobe scored 81, and in the end the Lakers won by 18.

Kobe scored 81 in his 666th game, 6+6+6=18, and if you understand Chinese, 666 together mean luck, worry-free, and clear sailing.

81 is the sqaure of 9, 9+9=18, 9 and 9 means long-lasting or forever.

Well, seems like 81 is a perfect number for Kobe. So, this game would be either the height or the turning point of Kobe's career. Let's sit back and jope it is a turning point.