JJ Redick’s hilarious recollection of Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game

LOS ANGELES – It has been 20 years since the deceased Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant shocked the NBA world when he dropped 81 points in a come-from-behind win against the Toronto Raptors. Most people remember where they were that day, and what was their reaction to the second-highest single point total in NBA history. For the current head coach of the Lakers JJ Redickit’s not hard to remember his reaction.

JJ Redick was in college at the time, playing for the Duke Blue Devils, and had a great performance that same week. Just a few nights after Kobe Bryant’s 81-point feat, Redick turned the college basketball world upside down by dropping 40 points on just 13 shots in a huge win against Virginia.

For Redick, the answer to which performance was more impressive was easy. But he remembers having to listen to real debates from credible members of the media about which game stood out more.

“I had 40 on 13 shots, and they were having one of those stupid debates on ESPN where they were talking about, ‘Which is more impressive, Kobe’s 81 or Redick’s 40 on 13 shots,'” Redick recalled before the Lakers’ game against the Clippers on Thursday. “And I’m like, ‘Kobe is 81 years old.’

Even two decades later, Bryant’s achievement is still fresh in people’s minds as the best score in the modern NBA era. The late Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the greatest individual game with his infamous 100-point effort in 1962.

Before Bryant’s game, the previous second-highest individual score was Chamberlain again with 78 points. And after that, current Lakers star Luka Doncic managed to tie both Chamberlain and David Thompson’s 73 points.

Although Redick wasn’t able to watch Bryant’s feat live, he remembers being in shock after learning what happened.

“I didn’t watch the game, I think it was an off day … and you’re kind of, I guess, in shock with the number … you end up watching the game, over the years you come across the highlights,” Redick said. “I think it’s just kind of a perfect microcosm of Kobe. I played against him, unfortunately, in the Finals. He’s just killer, and you just have to have a killer mindset to get 81.”

Redick went up against Bryant as a member of the Orlando Magic during their 2009 NBA Finals series against the Lakers. The Lakers would end up winning that series in five games, which would be the first of back-to-back championships.