“I Could Sense Fear In The 1st Player”: Kobe Bryant’s 18 Year Old 50 Point Masterpiece Against The Clippers Led To A Brilliant Example Of Mamba Mentality

Credits: IMAGO

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant could be credited with having some of the most iconic performances in NBA history. The 6’6 guard’s focus and tenacity on the court was a testament to his game. This was evident to fans witnessing Bryant’s heroics in the arena as well. 18 years ago, his 50-point piece against the Clippers was no different, with fans witnessing the peak Mamba Mentality.

Kobe Bryant was not one to back down from a challenge and was widely famous for facing such situations head-on. That is exactly what he did on January 7, 2006, when the Lakers faced off their inter-city rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers.

Bryant was unconscious on offense, dropping 50 points on the Clippers and winning the game with a 112-109 final score. After the game, The Black Mamba broke down his mentality to rally his team to the finish line.

Kobe revealed that he sensed fear in the player who was guarding him and once he was in his full flow, the Clippers changed the player on him. He added,

“And I wanted to take him to that breaking point and the next one. My thing is, no matter who’s guarding me, I believe that you’re going to crack before I will. I’m just going to keep on pushing at you until you give in.”

By the end of the first two quarters, Bryant only had 10 points going into the locker room. Come final buzzer time, the five-time NBA champion had 50 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal for the game. If the stat sheet-stuffing performance wasn’t enough, Bryant also had the go-ahead basket for the Lakers with under 12 seconds left to play.

The Clippers constantly switching defenders on Bryant was all he needed to take over the game. After dominating the first defender, Bryant kept on building on that, unwavering till regulation time ended. His statement went to show the lengths he’d go to just to get the win for the team.

Kobe Bryant and his Mamba Mentality

Kobe Bryant’s mindset during his matchups was entirely different from what fans got to see. As soon as Bryant stepped onto the floor, he only had one goal on his mind and was willing to do whatever it took to achieve that.

The Lakers legend used to make sure to stay in that zone, leading his Mamba Mentality to take over, helping him outperform his opponents. Once the 18-time All-Star broke down that very same Mentality.

The 2005-06 season was when Kobe Bryant had his highest point production of his career. Bryant averaged 35.4 PPG that year, capping off the season with a whopping 27 games with 40 points or more.

This was the same year the world got to see the Black Mamba dropping 81 points on the Toronto Raptors exactly 15 days after the Clippers game. So, it may be safe to say that Kobe had that Mamba Mentality on lock throughout the year.