Amazing

On January 22, 2006 Kobe Bryant, playing less than 42 minutes, shot 28-of-46 (61%) from the floor including 7-of-13 (54%) from 3-point range, and 18-of-20 (90%) from the foul line for a total of 81 points. “The second most points ever scored in a game in league history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain's record of 100. It was more than Michael Jordan ever scored and more than Oscar Robertson or Kareem Abdul-Jabaar ever had. It was as many or more than the Houston Rockets have scored 12 times this season”. Steve Kerr

Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record 100-point game for Philadelphia against the New York Knicks at Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962 seemed unreachable until Kobe’s 81. Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who coached the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s, said Bryant's single-game performance surpassed anything Jordan ever did on a given night.

“This wasn't about Bryant being a ball hog or a bad teammate. Quite the contrary. The Los Angeles Lakers were getting pounded by the Toronto Raptors (down 16 at one point) until Kobe looked at his bad teammates and decided to try to win the game – which the Lakers did, 122-104. If a baseball player hits a home run in his first three at-bats, does anyone blame him for swinging for the fences his next time up? Kobe Bryant scored 66.4 percent of his team's points. Wilt, in scoring 100 in his Philadelphia Warriors' 169-147 victory, managed just 59.2 percent. So maybe Kobe's performance was better, especially since he didn't enjoy Wilt's advantage of being 7-foot-1 and 275 pounds in an era of no one else being even close”. Dan Wetzel