LOS ANGELES – It’s been 20 years since the late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant sent shockwaves through the NBA world when he dropped 81 points in a come from behind win against the Toronto Raptors. Most people remember where they were that day, and what their reaction was to the second-highest individual point total in NBA history. For current Lakers head coach JJ Redick, it’s not hard to remember his reaction.
JJ Redick was in college at the time, playing for the Duke Blue Devils, and he had a dazzling performance of his own that same week. Just a few nights after Kobe Bryant’s 81-point feat, Redick upended the college basketball world by dropping 40 points on only 13 shots in a blowout win against Virginia.
For Redick, the answer to which performance was more impressive was an easy one. But he recalls having to listen to actual debates from credible media members about which game stood out more.
“I had 40 on 13 shots, and they did one of those stupid ESPN debates where they talk about, ‘what’s more impressive, Kobe’s 81 or Redick’s 40 on 13 shots,’” Redick recalled before the Lakers’ game against the Clippers on Thursday. “And I’m like, ‘Kobe’s 81.’”
Even two decades later, Bryant’s accomplishment is still fresh in people’s minds as the single greatest scoring performance of the modern NBA era. The late Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the highest individual scoring game with his infamous 100-point effort back in 1962.
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Prior to Bryant’s game, the previous second-highest individual scoring total was Chamberlain again with 78 points. And following that, current Lakers star Luka Doncic managed to tie both Chamberlain and David Thompson’s output of 73 points.
While Redick wasn’t able to watch Bryant’s feat live, he recalls just being in shock after learning what had transpired.
“I didn’t watch the game, I think it was an off-day. . .and you’re kind of, I guess, in shock at the number. . .you end up watching the game, over the years you come across the highlights,” Redick said. “I think it’s just sort of a perfect microcosm of Kobe. I played against him, unfortunately, in the Finals. He’s just a killer, and you got to have just a killer mindset to go get 81.”
Redick squared off against Bryant as a member of the Orlando Magic during their 2009 NBA Finals series against the Lakers. The Lakers would end up winning that series in five games, in what would be the first of back-to-back championships.