Kobe Bryant was one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history. On any given night, Bean could drop 30 on any defender. However, if he was feeling feisty, Kobe could just go ahead and score 50 or more. One of the most scintillating stretches of Bryant's career came in March 2007 when he scored 50 or more points for four straight games.
Chris Paul saw that firsthand when he played for the New Orleans Hornets when Bryant scored 50 against his team. According to the "Point God," his good friend had no conscience during that time and shot and scored at will.
Was a handful to defend
Like Michael Jordan before him, the 18-time All-Star flourished in coach Phil Jackson's "Triangle" offense. When Kobe got the ball at the elbow area, whoever was standing before him was as good as cooked, as the legendary wingman had numerous options to score or create plays for his teammates. From there, Bryant could size up his defender and rise up for a jumper or drive to the basket with his quick first step and incredible footwork.
"Kobe was such a problem, obviously playing in the Triangle offense," CP3 said on the "Knuckleheads Podcast." "When I came into the league, we had this offense called "Low Post Same Side," which is basically the triangle, and you can manipulate it however you want to make sure you get the ball in certain spots."
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Kobe didn't care
During the 2006-2007 season, the "Black Mamba" had an unreliable supporting cast, which led to him shouldering the bulk of the scoring load. This was never more evident late in the regular season when Bryant had to go on one of his patented scoring runs to help the Lakers get wins and keep them in the playoff hunt.
"You remember that year when he was running off like 50 points in games? He just had an 'I don't care' factor," Chris said of KB's incredible scoring streak, which began on March 16, when he tallied a whopping 65 points highlighted by eight triples against the Portland Trail Blazers. A few days later, Kobe scored 50 points against Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves. He followed that up with an astounding 60-point explosion against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Bryant capped off that memorable stretch with 50 points against CP's Hornets. In that game, KB pulled off an incredible move that only he could make look effortless.
"Kobe was just different. One time, I think it was Speedy Claxton guarding him. We were playing in New Orleans, and Kobe had the ball in the mid-post," CP narrated. "Kobe looked at me coming from the nail to double-team him, and he spun baseline. He was behind the backboard, and it's almost like the ball went around the backboard and went right through the goal. His footwork was just different."
The late, great Kobe was indeed a one-of-a-kind talent. He had the confidence and skill to torch any defense put in front of him. CP's recollection of that memorable game against the Hornets is just one example of how Bryant made seemingly impossible shots and moves look easy.
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