Kobe’s 81-point game defined his pre-Gasol legacy for better and worse. He was bitterly selfish that season—irritated by his brutal supporting cast, Shaq’s success in Miami and the thought of his prime wasting away—to the degree that I joked, “The best part about playing craps with Kobe must be watching him eventually drift over to the ‘Don’t Pass’ line.”54 But 81 points??? No perimeter player can hit that mark without a disarming amount of ballhogging. I watched with my father: we found ourselves fascinated by Kobe’s icy demeanor, the lack of enthusiasm from L.A.’s bench, even the
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