On Friday evening, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks hit the road to take on the Atlanta Hawks in a bit of interconference action. Doncic was playing without costar Kyrie Irving, leading some to believe that the Mavs guard would probably be in for some inflated scoring numbers in Atlanta.

However, few could have foreseen what actually took place at State Farm Arena. Doncic scored an incomprehensible total of 73 points in what ended up as a narrow Mavs win, including 41 of those points in the first half alone.

It was the most points scored in an NBA game since the late Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant poured in 81 points in 2006, and comparisons between the two stars were rampant on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter, after the game.

Some noted that Doncic and Bryant had actually begun to form somewhat of a friendship during Doncic's first couple of seasons in the league.

Others noted the significance of the date, January 26, for Doncic's career-high night.

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January 26 marked the four-year anniversary of Bryant's tragic death, alongside his daughter Gianna and several other passengers, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The shocking tragedy caused an outpouring of grief from the basketball world, including from Doncic himself.

Although Bryant may no longer be with us, it's beautiful to see that his legacy continues to live on in the next generation of great players.

The Mavs will next take the floor on Saturday evening at home against the Sacramento Kings.