John Salley claims Phil Jackson was behind Kobe Bryant not getting 100 points against Raptors: “‘He’s No 2, he doesn’t need to be No 1’”
On Jan. 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant exploded for 81 points against the visiting Toronto Raptors. Bryant’s mind-boggling output was second only to Wilt Chamberlain’s iconic 100-point effort for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in 1962.
As incredible as “KB24’s” feat was, many felt like he could have at least tied Chamberlain’s mark. Four-time NBA champion John Salley is one of those who feels the same way. He claims to know why Bryant failed to surpass “The Big Dipper’s” explosion:
“I didn’t agree with something Phil Jackson said to me and then I got into my 50s and I got it. So, I didn’t agree but I say, ‘Phil, Kobe had 81! No matter what you do, he was about to get 104.’ They would have kept feeding him the ball.
“The other side would have been like, ‘Don’t hurt him’ but there would have been clear outs and Kobe would have gotten 104. And then he goes, ‘Well, some records need to stand. He’s No. 2, he doesn’t need to be No. 1.’ And I was like, ‘Wow.’”
.@thejohnsalley says LeBron won’t pass Kareem as the All-Time Leading Scorer 👀
“You’re going to be really mad…Phil Jackson once told me: ‘Some records need to stand.’” https://t.co/jYGvVRimGg
Phil Jackson was the coach of the LA Lakers when Kobe Bryant accomplished his remarkable feat in 2006. He was the reason why “The Black Mamba” played just 42 of 48 minutes. Scoring 19 points in six minutes was definitely possibly considering how hot Bryant was in the game.
The beloved Laker spent all of those minutes on the bench during the first half. No one knew what kind of performance he was about to produce, so Phil Jackson gave his superstar some rest.
Kobe Bryant had a slow first half where he only finished with 26 points. Despite his performance, the LA Lakers trailed the Toronto Raptors 63-49, which frustrated Bryant and set the stage for a blistering second half.
He played all 12 minutes of the third quarter and lit up the score sheet with 27 points. He was the biggest reason why the Lakers overturned an 18-point third-quarter deficit to lead 91-85.
“KB24” added another 28 in the fourth quarter to finish the night with 81 points on 28-of-46 shooting, including 7-for-13 from 3-point distance. He made all but two of his 20 free throw attempts to help raise his tally. He outscored the entire Raptors team in the second half 55-41.
L E G E N D A R Y 🐍
14 years ago today, @kobebryant dismantled the Raptors with this incredible 81-point performance. https://t.co/mCbVB0U8Vc
Phil Jackson subbed Bryant out with just 4.2 seconds remaining in the game as the Staples Center crowd erupted.
Kobe Bryant explained in an interview how he could have at least reached 90 points
True to his nature, Kobe Bryant wasn’t satisfied with his jaw-dropping output.
Here’s what he had to say to ESPN’s Arash Markazi about what could have been a truly record-breaking performance:
“I should have had 90 points or more. I missed two free throws after making 62 straight. I had some open looks. I had some really open looks that I missed. I could have had more.
"There’s a lot of easy opportunities I missed. I think 100 is possible. I absolutely do. If I hadn’t sat out those six minutes in the first half, maybe I would have had it.”
Some would even say that Bryant’s 81 points were more impressive than Wilt Chamberlain’s 100, considering how the game was played in their respective eras. Regardless of who had the more impressive feat, their historic performances will continue to live long in the minds of generations of fans.
Here’s the full ESPN interview with Kobe Bryant.