What a night.
Just when you thought Kobe Bryant had given basketball fans everything he possibly could, he willed his way to a miraculous 60-point performance in his career finale. It truly was the perfect ending to a fantastic career (given the circumstances of how bad this team really is, at least).
After the final buzzer sounded, some analysts pondered if what Bryant was able to pull off last night made it the most impressive game of his entire career, even topping his 81-point night against the Toronto Raptors a decade ago. Given the wear and tear on his body these last few years, they do have a point.
However, a strong argument can be made that the best single game of Kobe's career wasn't either of those.
Just a month before Kobe scored 81 (the second highest point total for one player in a game in NBA history), Bryant put on a shooting display for the ages against the Dallas Mavericks.
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On December 21st, 2005, the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Mavs in what seemed like just another game between the two Western Conference powerhouses. Then, the Mamba let loose.
Through three quarters, Kobe Bryant was red hot, dropping 62 points on Dallas while hitting difficult shot after difficult shot. At that point, the Mavericks only had 61.
Bryant sat out for the fourth quarter, so we'll never know what point total he could've reached. In his 33 minutes of play, Kobe amassed 1.91 points per minute. Arguably, it was the greatest individual game Kobe ever played.
Watch the highlights from that incredible night year, as Bryant outscores the Mavs through three quarters on his own.
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