Happy, #KobeBryantDay!

Not only is it fitting the celebration of Kobe Bean Bryant lands on August 24, the month and day which represent the two numbers he wore for the Los Angeles Lakers, but it is also necessary to recognize greatness whenever possible.

Bryant will forever be known as one of the greatest bucket getters to ever play the game. After all, the recently-retired shooting guard ranks third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 33,643 points. He seemingly never met a shot he didn’t like, was rarely shy to pull the trigger, and was as lethal as any player in history.

Through 20 seasons, Bryant scored 50 or more points 26 times. For the sake of this list, to match his No. 24, there are two games that belong in a league of its own.

So, alas, here are some scoring memories of the Black Mamba:

KOBE DROPS 81 (JANUARY 22, 2006):

How can one talk about Bryant’s scoring prowess and not mention this first and foremost? The rings, the accolades, all of it was amazing, but this was legendary. Take three minutes and watch every point again. It’s worth it.


There really aren’t any more adjectives or phrases to accurately describe what happened. The Lakers were getting smacked by the Raptors, and then Bryant took it to a ridiculous, otherworldly level, scoring 55 points in the second half. Goodness.

KOBE SCORES 60 IN CAREER FINALE (APRIL 13, 2016):

This is important to single out. It is the freshest on-the-court memory of Bryant. It was his final game of his extraordinary career. So what if he took 50 shots? The man scored 60! in his final game. Watching Bryant put on one last show was beyond epic.


THE 24 “OTHER” GAMES OF 50-PLUS POINTS:

March 16, 2007 vs. POR: 65 points (23-for-39), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

December 20, 2005 vs DAL: 62 points (18-for-31), 8 rebounds, 3 steals

February 2, 2009 at NYK: 61 points (19-for-31), 3 assists, 1 block

March 22, 2007 at MEM: 60 points (20-for-37), 5 rebounds, 4 assists

December 29, 2006 at CHA: 58 points (22-for-45), 5 rebounds, 4 assists

January 14, 2002 vs. MEM: 56 points (21-for-34), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

March 28, 2003 vs. WSH: 55 points (15-for-29), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

December 15, 2006 vs. HOU: 53 points (17-for-38), 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

March 30, 2007 vs. HOU: 53 points (19-for-44), 2 rebounds, 2 assists

March 28, 2008 vs. MEM: 53 points (19-for-37), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals

February 18, 2003 vs. HOU: 52 points (19-for-38), 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks

November 30, 2006 vs. UTA: 52 points (19-for-26), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

March 2, 2008 vs. DAL: 52 points (15-for-27), 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

December 6, 2000 at GSW: 51 points (18-for-35), 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

February 12, 2003 at DEN: 51 points (15-for-28), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

January 19, 2006 at SAC: 51 points (17-for-35), 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

April 7, 2006 at PHX: 51 points (19-for-33), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

January 7, 2006 at LAC: 50 points (17-for-41), 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal

April 14, 2006 vs. POR: 50 points (17-for-28), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals

May 4, 2006 vs. PHX: 50 points (20-for-35), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals

March 18, 2007 vs. MIN: 50 points (17-for-35), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

March 23, 2007 at NO/OKC: 50 points (16-for-29), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

April 12, 2007 vs. LAC: 50 points (17-for-33), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

April 15, 2007 vs. SEA: 50 points (18-for-25), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

A legendary career.