Raptors vs Lakers
NBA • Reg. Season • Jan 23 2006
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Takes
9.6
@nick
4mo
I was 15 years old and a sophomore at an all boys catholic school and since this happened on a Sunday might it was the only thing everyone was talking about Monday morning. I didnt have cable growing up so I never got to watch SportsCenter in the mornings.
When I walked into the gym that day everyone was trying to recreate his shots and saying “Kobe!” as they faded away. I couldnt figure out why all of a sudden everyone was imitating Kobe until someone broke the news to me: Kobe dropped 81. This was at the dawn of the smartphone era so highlights and YouTube clips were in short supply. I remember later that day I had computer class and instead of doing the assignment I was on YouTube the entire hour rewatching the highlights on NBA.com. It was the most newsworthy thing in my life for the next week. So much lore. Only 20 FTs for Kobe. 46 shots. Better than Bam’s game and it ain’t close.
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Highlights
6
0
10
@newyorkdepression
4mo
I was 3 when this game happened so I have no memories of it in the moment. But, when my 11 year old self in 2013 was looking at old NBA games on Sports Reference I somehow, someway stumbled upon this game. I remember frantically searching up "Lakers vs Raptors 2006" and watching those highlights probably about 5000 times. From that day on, and now still, Kobe has been my role model. RIP Kobe 🙏🕊
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Highlights
5
0
8.4
@FlameRaptorRaven
4mo
Was originally going to rate it 8.1, but I realized this game was better than the 83-point game so I had to give it a point above that one. I’m not saying that because I’m being a basketball snob and party pooper. I’m saying that because the Raptors didn’t roll over and die like the Wizards did. It’s easy to forget, but the Raptors had a 14-point lead going into halftime. The Raptors increased that lead to 18 in the 3rd quarter. Kobe scored 81 out of necessity. If he doesn’t score 55 in the 2nd half, the Lakers, who barely made the playoffs, may have lost to a horrible team that eventually earned the #1 overall pick in the 2006 draft. Jalen Rose gets the bad rap for this game, mainly because he’s on TV, does media stuff and this game is brought up. However, Morris Peterson was the Raptors’ supposed defensive stopper and Kobe cooked him like a smoked Salmon. If the rumours are true, Sam Mitchell’s defensive game plan was stick Mo-Pete alone on Kobe. Turns out the league learned nothing.
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Watched
2
0
