26 January 2020 was a solemn day for the world. Basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, together with eight other people including his daughter Gianna, died in an unfortunate helicopter accident.
- 24. Highest scoring final career game
- 23. Highest scoring half
- 22. Highest scoring post-merger NBA game
- 21. Most points scored in 3 quarters
- 20. Most Recent “Threepeat” after the Jordan era
- 19. Oldest player to score 60 points
- 18. Most consecutive 40+ point games
- 17. Most consecutive 50+ point games
- 16. Most 60+ point games in the NBA
- 15. Most points scored in a single arena
- 14. Most points scored as an opponent in a game at Madison Square Garden
- 13. Most Christmas Day points scored
- 12. Youngest player to start in an NBA game
- 11. Youngest player to start in an NBA All-Star Game
- 10. Youngest Slam Dunk Contest winner
- 9. NBA All-Star steals all-time leader
- 8. Most offensive rebounds in an All-Star Game
- 7. Most NBA All-Star Game starts
- 6. Most consecutive All-Star selections with just a single team
- 5. Most consecutive All-Star selections
- 4. Most All-Star game MVPs
- 3. Most All-Defensive First Team selections
- 2. Most All-Defense selections among guards
- 1. Most All-NBA selections
- BONUS Record 1
- Most years as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers
- BONUS Record 2
- All-time leader in free throws made among guards
As millions, maybe billions, around the world mourn the loss, tributes and special features start pouring into media and the internet. As we take time to grief his death and recount the life of this Lakers superstar, it is timely to celebrate Kobe’s achievements.
A unique way to do that is to appreciate the long list of historical records held by Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant was drafted 24 years ago back in 1996. Here are the 24 records he currently still holds since the merger of NBA and ABA in 1976.
24. Highest scoring final career game
Who could forget the historic 60-points final game of Kobe Bryant? It is as much a miracle as it is an anomaly.
23. Highest scoring half
The Black Mamba channeled his inner offensive machine against the Toronto Raptors on January 2, 2006, scoring 55 points in the second half of the game.
22. Highest scoring post-merger NBA game
As we all know, Kobe was famous for his epic 81-point game versus the Toronto Raptors.
21. Most points scored in 3 quarters
The Black Mamba scored an amazing 62 points in three quarters on 31
shots in just 32 minutes of gameplay on 20 December 2005.
20. Most Recent “Threepeat” after the Jordan era
Kobe Bryant, together with his Los Angeles teammates such as Shaquille O’Neal, is the only modern-day player to still be able to win three championships in consecutive back-to-back-to-back fashion.
19. Oldest player to score 60 points
As a parting gift to Lakers Nation, Kobe gave a stellar 60-points performance in his final game, at the age of 37 years 234 days old. He became the oldest player to achieve the feat.
18. Most consecutive 40+ point games
Kobe has nine consecutive games with 40 points or more, sharing this record with Michael Jordan. He achieved this feat over a 22 day period spanning from 2 February to 23 February 2003.
17. Most consecutive 50+ point games
Kobe Bryant scored 50 points or more in four straight times in March 2007, a feat that is unparalleled in the current NBA.
16. Most 60+ point games in the NBA
In the post-merger era, Kobe Bryant holds the record for most number of 60-point games at six games.
15. Most points scored in a single arena
Kobe Bryant’s 81 points is etched into the history books for being the most points ever scored in a single arena during the post-merger era of basketball.
14. Most points scored as an opponent in a game at Madison Square Garden
Being able to score is one thing, to be able to score profusely at the Mecca of basketball is another level. Kobe is the sole dominant player to have scored 61 points at Madison Square Garden.
13. Most Christmas Day points scored
Destined to thrive under the limelight, Kobe is the top scorer for Christmas games, with a total of 395 points.
12. Youngest player to start in an NBA game
At 19 years old, Kobe made his first and only starting role that year under coach Dell Harris.
11. Youngest player to start in an NBA All-Star Game
Kobe was just 19 years old when he earned the starting honors for the Western Conference All-Star team.
10. Youngest Slam Dunk Contest winner
A young 18-year-old Kobe won the proverbial Slam Dunk Contest during the 1997 All-Star game. It remains one of the classics where an NBA legend managed to win both championships and showmanship.
9. NBA All-Star steals all-time leader
Kobe took pride in his defensive proactive nature. This is demonstrated by his 38 total steals, which puts him at the top among All-Star players.
8. Most offensive rebounds in an All-Star Game
Kobe’s persistence and dominance at the offensive end showed up big time during the 2011 All-Star game when he grabbed a record of 10 offensive boards.
7. Most NBA All-Star Game starts
Right until his death date of 26 January 2020, Kobe still holds the NBA record for most number of the All-Star game starting role, which stands at 15. The record will soon be broken by LeBron James during this upcoming 2020 All-Star game.
6. Most consecutive All-Star selections with just a single team
At the moment, Kobe Bryant is the only player who was able to get selected into the All-Star game by a whopping 18 consecutive times while playing for just a single team.
5. Most consecutive All-Star selections
Kobe Bryant had a record of 18 consecutive All-Star game selections.
4. Most All-Star game MVPs
Kobe won four All-Star Most Valuable Player awards during his 18 All-Star games, a feat tied with Bob Petit.
3. Most All-Defensive First Team selections
Kobe made it to the All-Defensive First Team for an impressive nine times, tying Michael Jordan, Gary Payton and Kevin Garnett.
2. Most All-Defense selections among guards
The defensive hound that Kobe was, he was able to be selected into twelve All-Defensive teams in his career, nine of which are first teams, three of which are second teams.
1. Most All-NBA selections
The celestial level of excellence in Kobe’s basketball abilities is evident in his All-NBA selections. Together with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and LeBron James, Kobe shares the record of belonging to 15 All-NBA teams.
As a tribute to Gianna Bryant, we included two bonus records held by Kobe Bryant. This signifies the jersey number two that Gianna wears at Mamba Sports Academy.
BONUS Record 1
Most years as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant is arguably the best Lakers player to ever don the purple and gold uniform. His illustrious 20 years is unmatched by anyone, especially so for sticking to a single team throughout his career.
BONUS Record 2
All-time leader in free throws made among guards
As an epitome of consistency, Kobe was always dependable at the charity stripe, where he made a league-leading 8,378 free throws. This is also symbolic of how Kobe started and ended his career, as well as a sign of his resilience when he tore his Achille’s tendon… Kobe converts free throws on all three occasions.
This is truly an impressive long list of records broken and held until today by Kobe Bryant. In his own words, Kobe had definitely left it all on the court and shown us what ferocious work ethic and fearless tenacity can achieve, regardless of the field one is in. As we remember his on-court heroics, let us all try to keep his spirit alive by injecting Mamba Mentality in all our endeavors and aspire to do our best for our own profession, relationships and future undertakings.
