Kobe Bryant may have eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point record had Phil Jackson not pulled the guard out of the game where he had 81 points against the Toronto Raptors.
And while there were multiple theories that did the rounds as to why, the legendary coach had his reasons. “Well, there’s only three minutes left in the ball game,” he told John Salley in an episode of LA Live, leaving the crowd roaring with laughter.
“There’s a game where I think he got 60, and I took him out at the beginning of the fourth quarter because we had won the game. We were ahead and that wasn’t important, or this game, we had to have it in there all the time to get to the 81 points because we were challenged to win that night.”
He further added: “We had a limited team where the team wasn’t as talented and they were playing in the zone, and we use the zone-breaker who was Kobe. And when we got to the 10-point lead or the 12-point lead, and with a couple of minutes left, I took him out of the game.”
“I think there’s a certain limit, I didn’t like seeing Kobe playing multiple 40-minute games towards the end of the season before he got hurt. I thought that was an overuse of the ball player. I think 38 to 40 minutes, yes. 42 minutes in a playoff game, you get an overtime extension, you can extend those minutes, but it really drains you. As an athlete, you have to understand what the limits are.”
[Starts 32:23]
Kobe had 81 points with 21-off-33 from the field, 7-of-13 from beyond the arc, and made 18 of his 20 free throws in the 41 minutes and 56 seconds he spent on the court. He was taken off the game with 4.2 seconds left in the fourth stretch and the Lakers were already up 122-104.
Clearly, Jackson had his reasons. It was important that Kobe’s longevity went throughout the season, rather than have him explode with all of his energy in one game and risk an injury in the process.
While it was indeed a memorable season for LA and Kobe, thanks to his 81-point onslaught, the team never made it past the first round losing 4-3 to the Phoenix Suns.
John Salley Had His Own Take On Why Phil Jackson Pulled Kobe Bryant When He Was On The Cusp Of Surpassing Wilt Chamberlain
The 4x NBA champion and former teammate of Kobe Bryant made an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast. During the interview, Salley revealed that Jackson apparently intentionally benched Kobe to prevent him from breaking Chamberlain’s scoring record.
“I didn’t agree with something Phil Jackson said to me … I said, ‘Phil, Kobe had 81. No matter what you do, he was about to get 104.’ They would’ve kept feeding him the ball. The other side would’ve been like, ‘Don’t hurt him.’ But, there would’ve been clearouts, and Kobe would’ve got 104. He goes, ‘Well, some records need to stand.’ And I was like, ‘Wow.’ He goes, ‘He’s No. 2. He doesn’t need to be No. 1.’”
It’s hard to imagine that Jackson may have intentionally pulled the move, and unfortunately, there isn’t anyone who can corroborate Salley’s story. And while Kobe and Jackson had their differences, it’s unlikely that the latter would spoil the Black Mamba’s chances of setting a new record.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9NILK4OXpo
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