Often, when an organization compiles and releases a list of the world’s top players, it’s not taken lightly by those who feel undervalued. This was a situation Kobe Bryant found himself in when ESPN created and published a list of the top 50 players in the NBA. Surprisingly, the list didn’t give due credit to one of the prime candidates for the title of the greatest of all time in the NBA: Kobe Bryant.
However, he responded dismissively. With five NBA championship titles in his trophy collection and multiple individual awards, he had ample evidence to be considered one of the league’s top players, if not the best.
ESPN rankings mocked by Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant, the retired Los Angeles Lakers superstar, was widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history. Bryant’s competitive nature drove him to use criticism as motivation to continually prove his doubters wrong.
In 2014, during a media interaction, Bryant was asked about his opinion on that year’s ESPN ranking of NBA players, where he was placed at number 40 out of the top 50. In response, Bryant said, “I’ve known for a long time that they’re a bunch of idiots,” expressing his disagreement with the ranking. In a similar situation, Bryant was once again asked for his opinion on the ESPN NBA rankings before the start of the last season.
The key distinction between the two instances was that in the most recent rankings, Bryant had been placed 15 spots higher and was ranked at number 25. Bryant in a media statement wasn’t pleased with his rankings given by ESPN and said that anyone in the league who thinks that he is the 25th best player in the world needs drug testing.
Kobe secures modern NBA record for most points in a single
Kobe Bryant’s legendary performance in a single game stands as a remarkable modern NBA record. He scored 81 points in a single game, a record he achieved when playing for the Lakers against Toronto on January 22, 2006. Kobe’s 81 points in a single game are the second-highest individual-scoring game in NBA history, with Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points being the highest.
During this memorable game, the offense centered around Kobe in an extraordinary manner. He attempted 46 of the team’s 88 field goal attempts and made an incredible 20 of the Lakers’ 33 free throws.
The fact that Kobe maintained his efficiency despite the heavy workload of shooting 61% from the field, 54% from 3-point range, and an amazing 90% from the free-throw line is even more amazing. This achievement stands at the highest level in today’s NBA with Damian Lillard‘s 71 points coming close to Kobe’s 81 points.
