Was Kobe's 81-point game really about stat-padding? Let's hear from a longtime fan!

Continuing yesterday's topic.

After Adebayo scored 83 points, there has been much debate and discussion about Kobe's 81-point game.

As a longtime fan, I've watched the full recording of Kobe's 81-point game about five times. I don't judge a game based on a single screenshot or a data table.

Nor do I favor the past over the present, praising Kobe while belittling Adebayo.

Adebayo needed this game to be remembered in history, so I understand him (already mentioned yesterday, won't elaborate).

But Kobe didn't need the 81-point game to prove his greatness. Without this game, he would still be among the Top 75, in the Hall of Fame, and have two jersey numbers retired...

Because the level of the star is different, we should also differentiate when judging a player's actions.

When congratulating Adebayo, do it generously.

As for whether the Black Mamba's game involved so-called stat-padding?

Let me tell a story.

If Kobe wanted to pad stats, the easiest game would have been against the Mavericks on December 20, 2005.

By the end of the third quarter, Dallas trailed the Lakers 61-95, a 34-point deficit. Kobe had scored 62 points by then, outscoring the entire opposing team.

In the fourth quarter, Coach Phil Jackson had assistant coach Brian Shaw (also a former Lakers player) ask Kobe if he wanted to play: "The coach said if you want to go in, he'll let you get 70 points and then take you out."

Kobe glanced at the scoreboard and replied: "No, 70 points can wait for another day!"

Shaw was shocked: "Not everyone gets a chance to score 70 points! You should go in!"

"No, the team doesn't need me to score anymore!"

Which day is 'another day'? When is 'next time'?

It didn't take long. January 22, 2006.

This day was special because it was the first time Kobe's grandmother came to Staples Center to watch his game; it was also the birthday of his grandfather, who had passed away nearly five years earlier.

The opponent: the Toronto Raptors.

So, why was Kobe's 81-point game so震撼?

To put it simply, a big reason was that his teammates were incredibly weak.

How could the Raptors let one guy go crazy like that?

Here's the answer from Spanish guard Jose Calderon:

"Most of the time, we were领先 on the court. He was确实 slaughtering us, but the other Lakers players did nothing. We all thought Kobe couldn't keep scoring like this."

That season, Coach Jackson一直 hoped Kobe would first带动 the inside teammates, Chris Mihm, Kwame Brown... but found they truly couldn't be带动.

The Lakers trailed by 7 points in the first quarter.

By halftime, Kobe was 18-for-10, scoring 26 points.

His teammates combined for 32-for-10, totaling 23 points.

In the second half, after Mike James of the Raptors hit a three-pointer, the deficit widened to 17 points. Phil Jackson couldn't sit still, stood up, adjusted his glasses, and pointed at Kobe on the court.

The implied meaning was: just do it yourself!

The Lakers trailed by as much as 18 points in this game.

With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, Lamar Odom scored his first point of the game via a free throw. He became the only other player besides Kobe, who had scored 19 consecutive points, to contribute.

After scoring, Odom also walked over to Kobe and said almost the same thing as Coach Jackson: "Keep going!"

By the end of the third quarter, the Black Mamba had 53 points, and the Lakers led 91-85.

Also, remember: Kobe rested for 6 minutes in the second quarter.

If those "weak teammates" had been slightly more competent, there wouldn't have been an 81-point game.

From the opponent's perspective, why were the Raptors so糟糕?

I think it relates to their defensive approach.

Head coach Sam Mitchell didn't believe Kobe could kill them one-on-one.

Result...

Kobe scored 28 points in the fourth quarter.

Did he pad his stats?

After he made two free throws with 2:36 left, he had 76 points. The Raptors also pulled their starters at that time. (There's an unwritten默契 in the NBA: if the trailing team doesn't surrender, the leading team usually doesn't substitute.)

Now some people use screenshots to骂 Kobe for stat-padding. Why wasn't there such criticism back then?

I think the way he scored those 5 points differs本质上 from Adebayo's final 3 minutes yesterday.

The Lakers didn't intentionally let the Raptors foul to抢回合数, right?

Also, don't forget that at that moment, Kobe didn't have a definite, feasible record to break; he couldn't追上 Chamberlain's 100 points.

Adebayo is different. He played with a "target score" in mind, aiming to break a record...

So it看起来别扭.

Kobe's 81-point game was what fans众望所归, a natural outcome, without any违和感.

On the scoring record list, 83 points will undoubtedly rank high, becoming NBA history.

But, regarding含金量...

Those who understand, understand!