Kobe Bryant had too many incredible scoring performances with the Los Angeles Lakers for all of them to immediately spring to mind when remembering his best ones. His game against the Orlando Magic on March 21, 1999, wouldn’t rank among his greatest, but it was an incredible step forward for the then-burgeoning superstar.
Bryant started the first half against the Magic fairly quietly, managing just five points as the Lakers trailed 63-43. But Bryant — in some of the earliest evidence of his future Hall of Fame status — did what stars do, and took the game into his own hands in the second half.