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Now for those who know me before you accuse me of jumping on the band wagon after reading the title please read everything before you judge me! Yes many of you have heard me talk about Kobe not being worthy of all the hype or the fact that I am not actually his biggest fan. As a true sports fan I do give credit where its due.
I still stand by my comments that Kobe is a great player who may not have a ring if he didn't play with Shaq. Alot of Kobe fans act like this dude won those championships by himself, even the great Michael Jordan needed help. As great as Bryant is, he can't beat a team by himself. I have often said if you put another great player and in that position like said a Tracy McGrady, he would have 3 rings and Kobe might be another great player who retires without a championship. Case in point D. Wade did the damn thing with an older, slower Shaq and won the championship last year and Kobe watch the most of the playoffs like I did at home, on a much bigger TV and a nicer home but at home all the same.
Teams need to play him one on one let him get his, and shut everyone else down and you can defeat the Lakers in a 5 or 7 game series. When teams got wise to that even with Shaq there, they went home early. They let Kobe and Shaq get theres and shut the rest of the team down. And lets not forget even when they went home early it was Shaq the only Laker who scored his average during the playoffs when they lost. Kobe was MIA a few games.
I still don't think even with his historical numbers he can take this current band of misfits to the promise land and win another title until he gets another superstar on the roster. (They should have given up Bynum for Jason Kidd before the trade deadline, they may have been true contentders for the next few years. Bynum may neer develop into that type of superstar they need) Anyway like I was saying, while I am not his biggest fan, like I said I do give credit were its due. Even the player I used to hate the most in the 80's, Larry Bird, who just turned 50 years old, looking back on it now I can't deny that man his place in history and what he did for the game. (and for the record I don't feel no where near as strong against Bryant and I did Bird.)
Now with all that said Kobe Bryant quite possible might be the best player in the league right now. He just made history again Friday night (March 23rd) when he 50 points for the fourth straight game during the Lakers' 111-105 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, making him the first player since Chamberlain to accomplish that feat. Bryant has stepped up in a major way and stopped they 7 or 8 game losing streak that if continued could have knocked them out the playoff race.
Kobe who said he met Chamberlain once as a child has scored 65, 50, 60 and 50 points in his past four games for a total of 225 points. While it's not close to Chamberlain's four-game total of 67, 65, 61 and 100 for a total of 293 points during his historic season in 1961-62, no one else has ever done it. And that and that alone makes Kobe Bryant worthy of this rant and the title of this piece. I wont go on and on but see below and check the numbers for yourself. Like Jay Z said, "Men lie, Women lie but numbers don't." The scary thing we may not have seen his best yet!
I still don't think even with his historical numbers he can take this current band of misfits to the promise land and win another title until he gets another superstar on the roster. (They should have given up Bynum for Jason Kidd before the trade deadline, they may have been true contentders for the next few years. Bynum may neer develop into that type of superstar they need) Anyway like I was saying, while I am not his biggest fan, like I said I do give credit were its due. Even the player I used to hate the most in the 80's, Larry Bird, who just turned 50 years old, looking back on it now I can't deny that man his place in history and what he did for the game. (and for the record I don't feel no where near as strong against Bryant and I did Bird.)
Now with all that said Kobe Bryant quite possible might be the best player in the league right now. He just made history again Friday night (March 23rd) when he 50 points for the fourth straight game during the Lakers' 111-105 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, making him the first player since Chamberlain to accomplish that feat. Bryant has stepped up in a major way and stopped they 7 or 8 game losing streak that if continued could have knocked them out the playoff race.
Kobe who said he met Chamberlain once as a child has scored 65, 50, 60 and 50 points in his past four games for a total of 225 points. While it's not close to Chamberlain's four-game total of 67, 65, 61 and 100 for a total of 293 points during his historic season in 1961-62, no one else has ever done it. And that and that alone makes Kobe Bryant worthy of this rant and the title of this piece. I wont go on and on but see below and check the numbers for yourself. Like Jay Z said, "Men lie, Women lie but numbers don't." The scary thing we may not have seen his best yet!
No longer should anyone be calling Kobe the heir apparent to Air Jordan. There will never be another Jordan but Kobe is doin pretty damn good being Kobe! Its a little to early to say he may be the greatest to ever play but he has carved a place in history that even haters like myself cant deny!!!!
Here's his numbers.......
March 23 -- Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant went off for 65 points in a win against the Blazers on March 16, and 50 points on Sunday against the Timberwolves. Kobe followed that up with a 60-point performance in the Lakers' victory over the Grizzlies on Thursday. He continued his hot streak by posting 50 points in a win over the Hornets on Friday. Inside the Numbers takes a look at some of Kobe's accomplishments.
18,000- Kobe is the youngest player to top this point milestone, reaching it in 28 years and 156 days, which is 10 fewer days than it took Wilt Chamberlain to accomplish this feat.
747 - The amount of games played for Kobe to become the 16th fastest player to score 18,000 in his career. He is also the 20th fastest to 17,000, 22nd to 16,000 and 29th to 15,000.
226 -The amount of points Wilt Chamberlain scored over a three-day stretch (highest amount ever) in 1962.
225- The amount of points Kobe has scored over this four-game span.
100- On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA single-game scoring record by tallying 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks.
81- On Jan. 22, 2006, Kobe dropped 81 points against the Raptors in a 122-104 Lakers win. The 81 is the second highest single-game point total in NBA history.
65- The amount of points he totaled in the Lakers' 116-111 victory over the Blazers on March 16.
62- On Dec. 20, 2005, Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters against the Mavericks. Heading into the fourth quarter, he had outscored the Mavericks, 62-61.
60- His point total in the Lakers' 121-119 win over the Grizzlies on Thursday.
50- His point total in the Lakers' 109-102 win over the Timberwolves on Sunday and in their 111-105 victory over the Hornets on Friday.
24- The amount of points he totaled in the fourth quarter alone on March 16, against the Blazers.
20- The amount of times he has cracked the 50-point milestone in his career.
14- Victories the Lakers have earned in those games.
9- The amount of points he totaled in overtime to help Los Angeles seal the victory on March 16, against Portland.
8- The amount of 50-plus point games for Kobe this season, which ties his own franchise record from last year.
6- Bryant along with Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Gilbert Arenas, Jamal Crawford and Michael Redd have each scored at least 50 in a game this season.
4- Bryant, Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain are the only players in NBA history to score at least 60 in multiple games in their careers. Bryant has done it four times.
3- Wilt Chamberlain, Bryant and Jordan are the only players in NBA history with four or more 60-plus games. Wilt accomplished this feat 32 times, while Bryant and Jordan each did it on four occasions.
March 23 -- Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant went off for 65 points in a win against the Blazers on March 16, and 50 points on Sunday against the Timberwolves. Kobe followed that up with a 60-point performance in the Lakers' victory over the Grizzlies on Thursday. He continued his hot streak by posting 50 points in a win over the Hornets on Friday. Inside the Numbers takes a look at some of Kobe's accomplishments.
18,000- Kobe is the youngest player to top this point milestone, reaching it in 28 years and 156 days, which is 10 fewer days than it took Wilt Chamberlain to accomplish this feat.
747 - The amount of games played for Kobe to become the 16th fastest player to score 18,000 in his career. He is also the 20th fastest to 17,000, 22nd to 16,000 and 29th to 15,000.
226 -The amount of points Wilt Chamberlain scored over a three-day stretch (highest amount ever) in 1962.
225- The amount of points Kobe has scored over this four-game span.
100- On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA single-game scoring record by tallying 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks.
81- On Jan. 22, 2006, Kobe dropped 81 points against the Raptors in a 122-104 Lakers win. The 81 is the second highest single-game point total in NBA history.
65- The amount of points he totaled in the Lakers' 116-111 victory over the Blazers on March 16.
62- On Dec. 20, 2005, Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters against the Mavericks. Heading into the fourth quarter, he had outscored the Mavericks, 62-61.
60- His point total in the Lakers' 121-119 win over the Grizzlies on Thursday.
50- His point total in the Lakers' 109-102 win over the Timberwolves on Sunday and in their 111-105 victory over the Hornets on Friday.
24- The amount of points he totaled in the fourth quarter alone on March 16, against the Blazers.
20- The amount of times he has cracked the 50-point milestone in his career.
14- Victories the Lakers have earned in those games.
9- The amount of points he totaled in overtime to help Los Angeles seal the victory on March 16, against Portland.
8- The amount of 50-plus point games for Kobe this season, which ties his own franchise record from last year.
6- Bryant along with Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Gilbert Arenas, Jamal Crawford and Michael Redd have each scored at least 50 in a game this season.
4- Bryant, Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain are the only players in NBA history to score at least 60 in multiple games in their careers. Bryant has done it four times.
3- Wilt Chamberlain, Bryant and Jordan are the only players in NBA history with four or more 60-plus games. Wilt accomplished this feat 32 times, while Bryant and Jordan each did it on four occasions.
1- Where Kobe ranks this season in points per game after passing Denver's Carmelo Anthony. Kobe averages 30.5, while Anthony averages 29.7.
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