What if someone claimed Kobe Bryant’s 81-point night was ‘too easy’—and laid out a step-by-step plan to do it themselves? That jaw-dropping assertion landed on a recent podcast, freezing a veteran Hall-of-Fame defender mid-sentence. Before you dismiss it as bravado, rewind to Jan. 22, 2006: Bryant exploded for 81 points on a night that shattered norms—he shot 60.9 percent from the floor, drained 7 of 13 triples, and went 18 of 20 at the line, all while carrying 66 percent of his team’s offensive load.
Even today, strategists point to that evening as the blueprint for containing a transcendent scorer. So when a former NBA sharpshooter claims he could replicate it “in four quarters flat,” the basketball world has to take notice. Let’s unpack the full story: the record, the reaction, and the lingering question. Could anyone truly make 81 look that “easy”?
Recently on Out The Mud podcast with Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, Rashad McCants had a hot take saying, “N—a get these numbers every quarter. No threes, no free throws, you guaranteed these points now. Then you put that in, you say I can get 81. If I factor this in, I just had 15 in the first, that was easy, wasn’t doing nothing, it was easy.” Crazy, to say the least.
Jan 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) yells as he handles the ball defended by Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) during the third quarter at Staples Center. The Memphis Grizzlies won 109-106. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
The conversation stemmed from Tony Allen and Rashad McCants discussing his potential career averages, speaking on how Rashad could have averaged 25 points given more opportunities and time. McCants explained he logged 15 PPG in just 26 MPG off the bench—proof, he argued, that an 81-point outburst was within reach, and that the number could go up to 24 sans free throws, laying the blueprint and throwing around a big what-if in the scenario. Soon, the factual statements merged into delusion. Tony Allen’s reaction? A burst of laughter—and a hard cut to the next segment.
The mention that Kobe Bryant’s 81-point night with the LA Lakers could be cracked by Rashad McCants tore Tony Allen up. So much so that he cut the podcast short. But that performance had a deep, lasting impact on the NBA.
How Kobe’s 81-Point masterclass rewrote defensive playbooks
Kobe Bryant’s legendary 81-point game sent shockwaves through NBA coaching rooms. Right after that performance, defenses had to take a hard look in the mirror. Head coach Sam Mitchell refused to double-team Bryant. Instead, he gambled on his perimeter defenders—Jalen Rose, Morris Peterson, and Mike James—to hold the line, only to see Kobe torch them relentlessly.
Within weeks, coaching clinics featured tape of Toronto’s failures. Specialists taught teams to trap rising scorers before they found a rhythm, rather than reacting post-explosion. Defensive coordinators blended man and zone coverages—“1-2-2 traps” and “box-and-1” variants—to clog Bryant-style isolation drives. Ironically, the league’s move to ban hand-checks in 2004 made containment even harder—Kobe exploited these rules to their fullest in 2006, leading to further defensive innovations.
Analytics teams now monitor usage rate spikes. Any player exceeding a 30% usage within a quarter triggers automatic defensive adjustments, a direct descendant of the 81-point lesson. Another thing that evolved? Help-side defense and rotations. With more aggressive schemes came a greater need for crisp, smart movement on the back end. Defenders had to rotate quicker, talk more, and cover each other’s backs.
Ultimately, Kobe Bryant’s 81 showed how one elite scorer can warp an entire defense. That kind of impact—drawing in defenders and opening up the floor—became a huge part of modern NBA strategy. Now, teams always prep for the possibility of a historic night. Because if you’re not ready, it can happen. Just ask the 2006 Raptors.
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