Kobe Bryant’s best game against the Cleveland Cavaliers – Kobe drops 47 in 2001
It was mentioned earlier that 2000-01 was sort of Kobe’s break-out year for big scoring performances, and this 47 point display against the Cavaliers was his second-highest scoring total that season. This was the pre-LeBron James Cavaliers, so it was no surprise that Kobe put his entire scoring arsenal on display and almost matched his career-high.
Kobe also dominated this game on defense as well, racking up three steals and a block while holding the opposing teams shooting guard to only nine points. At this time Andre Miller was the Cavs best scorer and Kobe even helped defend him at times throughout the game.
What stood out from this offensive display was that Kobe shot 26 free throws and made 23 of them which is only three shy of the current Lakers record set by Anthony Davis with 26 made free throws in a game. Getting to the line that many times this early in his career truly showed he was ahead of the curve for his age and had a basketball savvy that was unmatched for someone that was only 22 years old.
Shaq also did not play in this game, and this was one of the first glimpses of what Kobe could do as the main star on the team. With the green light as the go-to scorer, he did not disappoint with 47 points on a somewhat efficient 12 of 26 from the field.