Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry are the only players to have recorded more than 40 points in a single game.
Kobe Bryant recorded more 50-point games than LeBron and Curry combined, more 40-point games than LeBron, Durant, Bird and more 60-point games than Jordan and LeBron combined. Read more in detail here: how many 50-point games does lebron have.
All of the NBA’s all-time greats were outstanding scorers who also played excellent defense. Although Michael Jordan and LeBron James have always been at the forefront of the “best of all time” argument, Kobe Bryant has done enough to be included.
Bryant looked up to Jordan and tried to live up to the high standards he established. He developed into an exceptional NBA player while pursuing the Chicago Bulls star. MJ’s teammate Scottie Pippen famously remarked that despite Kobe spending so much time trying to emulate Jordan, the Black Mamba was superior in his opinion.
Kobe was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets on behalf of the Los Angeles Lakers when he was 18 years old. He led the purple and gold to the first championship in their three-peat in the early 2000s four years later. It was the first of his five NBA titles in a 20-year career.
When you compare Kobe Bryant’s scoring totals against the greatest on-ball defenders, you can see how amazing the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was. In high-scoring games, he had more points than some of the NBA’s best scorers combined. Let’s take a look at a couple of his 40, 50, and 60-point scoring contests during his career.
More 40-point games were scored by Kobe Bryant than by LeBron James and Stephen Curry combined.
Stephen Curry is probably the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history, and he’s proven it by making three-pointers over the last twelve seasons. He once set an NBA record by making 402 three-pointers in a single season. The closest player to that is James Harden, who had 378 attempts in the 2018-19 season, despite having almost 140 more attempts. Regardless, despite his exceptional shooting, Curry has just 49 40-point games.
During his 18-year career, King James had 66 games with 40 points or more. His 40-point double-double in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors is probably his most celebrated performance.
Despite putting up huge statistics for their teams when it mattered most, neither player performed at the same level as Kobe. They had 115 40-point games together, seven less than the Black Mamba’s 122.
Individually, no player is capable of matching Kobe’s 40-point scoring ability. However, given that both players are still active, they may combine for more than seven 40-point games in the NBA season 2021-22. The Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers are the favorites to win the Western Conference, and both players’ performances will be crucial to their success.
More 50-point games were scored by Kobe Bryant than by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Larry Bird combined.
Kevin Durant has been called the NBA’s most efficient scorer, and for good reason. His ability to score the ball is unrivaled, as the forward can break through any defense in a variety of ways. Despite this, Durant has only reached 50 points six times.
With every team he’s been a part of, LeBron has had to carry the load. While it is true that LBJ has never won a championship without a great squad, he has led average teams to postseason appearances on many occasions.
James’ game is more than just scoring; he’s also a creator. Because he possesses excellent court vision, the majority of his high-scoring games have been double-doubles or triple-doubles. Despite this, he has only had twelve games with 50 points in his career.
Larry Bird was the legendary coach of the Boston Celtics during the 1980s. During his 13-year tenure, he led them to three titles and four 50-point games. All three players together do not outperform Kobe in this category. The Lakers shooting guard has twenty-five games with 50 points.
More 60-point games were scored by Kobe Bryant than by Jordan and LeBron combined.
Wilt Chamberlain is widely regarded as the best scorer in NBA history, having set the record for most points scored in a single game with 100 against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. Bryant’s 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006, came the closest to achieving that milestone.
While Chamberlain’s thirty-two 60-point performances are unattainable for any player, Kobe’s career ended with six 60-point games. Only five have been scored by LeBron and Jordan, including four by MJ.
LBJ still has a few years left on the field and may go for 60 if he so chooses. He does, however, have one, which he received on March 3, 2014, against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Kobe Bryant may not have been the most accurate scorer in the NBA, but he understood how to get baskets no matter how hard he tried. His brilliance was aided by his Mamba mindset. He was constantly striving to improve in every game and putting in the effort that yielded rewards.
Despite his high-scoring prowess, Kobe is now rated fourth all-time in NBA scoring. His Airness is one spot ahead of him, while King James is one space behind him. No other current player comes close to matching his 33,643 lifetime points, thus he will likely retain his place for a long time.
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Kobe Bryant recorded more 40-point games than LeBron and Curry combined, more 50-point games than LeBron, Durant, Bird and more 60-point games than Jordan and LeBron combined. Reference: most 50-point games.
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