The Los Angeles Lakers have been blessed with a number of stars who have donned their jersey, but perhaps none have shined quite as bright as Kobe Bryant. Over the course of two decades, he mesmerized fans both in Los Angeles and on the road.
On April 7, 2006, Bryant put on a show in the Valley of the Sun, scoring a record-breaking 51 points in America West Arena against the Phoenix Suns.
Back then, Bryant’s Lakers were still trying to rebound from the 2004 trade that sent superstar center Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat in exchange for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler, and a first-round pick that would eventually be used on Jordan Farmar.