Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant’s best game against every team in NBA

Kobe Bryant’s best game against the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets – 44 points in 2001

In the 2000-01 season, Kobe Bryant was only 22 years old and it seemed like he was already established as one of the game’s top players. That season was one of the first where he showed he was capable of incredible scoring outbursts unlike anyone else in the game.

His 44 point scoring barrage against the Hornets was one of those examples that season. It was one of his six forty-point games that season, and he only had one in his career prior to that season.

In typical Kobe fashion, he did it on both ends had five blocks in the win, he did not get selected to the NBA all-defensive team 12 times for nothing. That year he ended up on the NBA’s second-team all-defense, and this game was one of the reasons why.

The Charlotte Hornets were the team that traded Kobe to the Lakers and it ended up being the worst trade in their franchise’s history. Every time Kobe laced it up against them they were probably sick to their stomachs thinking that he could have been apart of that franchise instead of Vlade Divac.

Since they relocated and changed their name during his career he only played the Charlotte Hornets 31 times in his career. This 44 point performance was the highest-scoring outburst he ever had against them.