LeBron James has seen greatness up close for over two decades, but even he remembers the night Kobe Bryant left the basketball world speechless. On the ‘360 with Speedy’ show, James recalled where he was during Bryant’s legendary 81-point performance, sharing how he and his friends knew something historic was unfolding in real time.
“Everybody I say something, everybody thinks it’s a lie,” said James. “I got homies that were at the house with me when Kobe was dropping 81. When he got 60, I’m watching the game like ‘Oh sh*t, he might go for 80 tonight.’ I got homies that were in my room, I lived in a house in Ohio at the time, and we sat in a small room watching the game, and I was like ‘Oh sh*t Kobe is going for 80 tonight.’”
LeBron James has been accused of embellishing or outright lying about stories in the past. From suspicions of “fake” reading to his more unbelievable claims, LeBron’s statements and actions aren’t always taken at face value.
So when he claimed that he saw Kobe’s iconic performance coming, it’s no surprise that many fans called it a fib. Almost nobody could have predicted an 81-point game from Kobe, and it’s almost hard to believe that LeBron called it mere moments before it happened. Like many fans that day, he was at his home watching the game unfold, and by the time that Bryant got up to 60 points, he knew history was in the making.
What many fans may have forgotten is that Kobe was already on fire leading up to the January 22nd game in 2006. About a month before the 81-point performance, Bryant had a dominant 62-point game against the Dallas Mavericks before dropping 51 against the Kings just three days prior to his career-high night.
As a team, the Lakers were in a rough spot as the franchise was adjusting to the post-Shaq era. Kobe was the lone star in Los Angeles, and while frustrations would later reach a breaking point, he didn’t let it get in the way of his performance on the court.
The game in question stands as not only the best night of Bryant’s career, but also the second-greatest scoring display in NBA history. With his team trailing at halftime, Kobe scored 55 points in the second half, including 23 in the fourth quarter, to lift his team to a comeback victory. He went 28-of-46 from the field with six rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block.
It was an incredible performance that proved Kobe’s status as one of the best in the league. Fortunately, his team would go on to win two more titles before his decline, which cemented his place in the NBA hierarchy.
LeBron has always had great respect for Kobe, and it says a lot that he was watching on in support as one of the game’s legends was making history in real time. Whether you believe his story or not, it’s a moment that LeBron will not forget, especially since he called it ahead of time.
Whether LeBron truly predicted Kobe’s 81-point night or not, it doesn’t take away from the respect he still shows for Bryant’s legacy. What matters is that one all-time great was locked in watching another, and nearly twenty years later, the memory remains just as powerful.
