It's The 20th Anniversary Of Kobe Bryant's 81 Point Game Against The Raptors And The Highlights Still Go So Hard

We talk a lot about today's NBA and how it's a slop fest. LaMelo Ball went 1-15 last night and kept shooting because Dion Waiters once said you can't stop shooting because it means you lost confidence. We lost the meaning of ethical hoops somewhere along the way. The way the game was meant to be played. 

But on the 20th anniversary of the greatest performance in NBA history, it shows how we really were lucky back then. I'm not going to be the "and LeBron is still playing" guy, but a lot of Barstool readers LOVE LeBron, so just keep that in the back of your mind. I used a Celtics thumbnail in the blog because we already purchased it and it's an iconic photo. Sorry Greenie.

Anyway, speaking of LeBron... it's also the 20th anniversary of the Call of the Century by him:

Listening to other NBA players talk about how they got "emails to their Sidekick" really takes you back:

I'm also a fan of the game LeBron, and it was incredible to see. Before you know it, it'll be LeBron's final game and the long nightmare of many NBA fans will be over, but for the rest of us, we'll be shedding tears in the living room while we watch our childhood officially fade away. 

The fact that Kobe did it on a 81/6/3 statline going 28/46 from the floor, 7/13 from 3, and 18/20 from the charity stripe with a 73.9% TS really exemplifies his greatness. I know we see 50 burgers a lot these days, and even got to 70 from Donovan Mitchell, Booker, Luka, Dame Time, and even Embiid, but that was really the last true great performance we'll ever see. It's possible someone passes Kobe at some point, but even if they do, it'll never be quite the same or as impressive while the league is where it's at. Greatness personified.

P.S. The Stuart Scott call on SportsCenter deserves a mention too: