On the 19-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant scoring 81 points, ESPN reflected on which performances have rivaled that one.

On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain put up an NBA record that will, undoubtedly, never be beaten: he scored 100 points in a single game. It’s the most impressive record in NBA history and has stood for nearly 63 years.

19 years ago, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, which is the closest anyone has come to Wilt’s record.

Wednesday was the anniversary of Bryant’s masterclass, and a panel of ESPN personalities reflected on which games have been the most impressive since Kobe’s outing.

70 points on a future defensive GOAT

There is no question that Victor Wembanyama can easily be the best defensive player of all time when it’s all said and done, but at only 21 years old, he still has a long way to go.

During his rookie season last year, he had his fair share of memorable games, including a triple-double with blocks, although the then-reigning MVP, Joel Embiid, put the rookie in his place. In a ten-point win on the 18th anniversary of “Bean’s” 81-point game, Embiid scored 70 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the San Antonio Spurs by ten points.

“Bean would show up early to get ready for a game,” said Marc Spears. “I’m going with Joel Embiid, who showed up late! When he scored 70, he showed up with about 40 minutes on the clock, didn’t do his pregame workout, didn’t go out on the court until a couple of minutes after the team went out for layups, and had 70! Who does that?”

Embiid, unlike Kobe, is known for being a bit lackadaisical and not having a competitive fire, although he was able to show out against a future DPOTY.

Other games receiving votes

While Embiid scored 71 against the best defender, one player was able to beat his mark. Just two days before Embiid sent Wembanyama packing, Luka Doncic scored 73 points against Dejounte Murray and the Atlanta Hawks, although Shams Charania thinks his 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists triple-double in 2022 was a bit more impressive.

Chiney Ogwumike harkened back to Bryant, thinking his 60-point farewell game against the Utah Jazz was one of the best games ever simply because of the weight it carried.

Malika Andrews went international, and once again Wembanyama fell victim to a stellar game. Team USA beat France in the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game, and Stephen Curry scored 24 points, although he iced the game with a marvelous four straight 3-pointers made, winning the first gold medal of his career.