Kobe Bryant’s best and worst 40-point games, ranked

We’re celebrating Kobe’s 40th birthday the best way we know how: By celebrating the Mamba himself.

Thursday, Aug. 23 is Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday. It will always be a day celebrated in basketball history. But because it’s The Black Mamba’s 40th birthday, we decided to do something a little special.

Bryant has tallied 135 40-plus-point games in his 20-year Hall of Fame career. Some were good, some were bad, some were ugly. We found some of the best and worst 40-point performances of his career, and we ranked them.

Happy birthday, Kobe. We hope to see you on a basketball court again soon.

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135. An abomination

Nov. 7, 2002: 41 points on 17-47 from the field in an overtime loss to the Celtics

Imagine shooting 17-of-47 from the field. SEVENTEEN OF FORTY-SEVEN. Now imagine that horrible shooting game is against a Boston Celtics team you hate, AND you lose that game by three in overtime.

Sure, Kobe scored 41 points, but he turned the ball over five times and missed all eight of his attempted 3s. This is probably one of those games that haunts the Bean in his sleep.

134. Two blown chances

Dec. 7, 2005: 45 points on 13-37 from the field in an overtime loss to the Grizzlies.

Kobe finished with 45 points on a terrible 13-of-37 shooting night against the Grizzlies, but this one could have finished higher on this list if the Lakers pulled away with the win. Bryant had a chance at a go-ahead shot with 16 seconds left in regulation:

He missed and it went to OT, where he had a chance to win the game with four seconds left. He got to the rim, and:

It happens to the best of us.

108. Welcome to the crew

March 12, 2000: 40 points on 15-24 from the field vs. Sacramento

This was Kobe’s first career 40-point game.

81. Efficiency

Dec. 21, 2000: 45 points on 20-26 shooting vs. Houston

Forty-five points is a feat in itself. Now, what about scoring 45 points on 77 percent shooting?

65. Gotta beat the Clippers

April 12, 2007: 50 points on 17-41 shooting vs. Clippers

This was another poor shooting night for Bryant, who got 50 points on 17-of-41 shooting. This time, he picks up eight assists and eight rebounds. This time, Bean scored 40 points in the second half alone. He shot 7-of-15 from three-point range, not 0-of-8. And this time, he hit the go-ahead shot with 11.4 seconds left to give the Lakers a one-point lead before Smush Parker’s clutch steal and layup sealed the deal.

Look at that: The Bean got some help.

40. So close

March 22, 2011: 42 points on 15-31 shooting in triple OT win over Phoenix

Kobe never recorded a 40-point triple-double, but this was as close as he got: 42 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in a two-point win over the Suns.

24. Kobe torches the Spurs

May 19, 2001: 45 points on 19-35 from the field in Game 1 of the WCF

One hundred and thirty-five 40-point games in Kobe’s career, and five of them came against Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, and the San Antonio Spurs. Of course, the best was Game 1 of the 2001 Western Conference Finals where he came alive and lit San Antonio up en route to his second of three straight NBA championships.

10. Kobe owns the Nuggets

April 23, 2008: 49 points on 18-of-27 from the field in playoff win vs. Denver

Seventy-five combined points from Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and peak J.R. Smith still wasn’t enough to stop the Lakers. Kobe scored 49 points on 67 percent shooting from the field to take Game 2 of the first round of the 2008 playoffs. Throw 10 assists in there, too, for good measure.

When you’ve got it going on, you’ve got it going on.

9. 16 rebounds, Kōb?

May 13, 2001: 48 points and 16 rebounds in playoff win over Sacramento

Sure, The Bean poured in 48 points on 50 percent shooting, but Kobe’s nine offensive rebounds and 16 boards altogether put the cap on a Western Conference Semifinals sweep of the Kings back in 2001. Nine offensive rebounds is so disrespectful.

8. 3 in a row

March 22, 2007: 60 points on 20-of-37 shooting in win against Memphis

Nothing to see here folks, just a 60-point game against the Grizzlies in 2007. It was the third of four straight 50-plus-point game Bryant had.

7. Kobe picks Brandon Roy apart

March 16, 2007: 65 points on 23-of-39 from the field in overtime win vs. Portland

Kobe Bryant vs. Brandon Roy was supposed to be a showdown between two star guards. But while Roy struggled, shooting 6-of-21 from the field, Kobe sapped his opponent’s energy and used it for his own good.

6. Kobe at the Garden

Feb. 2, 2009: 61 points on 19-of-31 from the field in win at MSG

Wilt Chamberlain scored 73 and 62 points at Madison Square Garden, and Carmelo Anthony’s 62-point explosion is the most ever scored by a Knicks player. But Kobe Bryant’s 61-point game in New York made the Garden his personal playground for a night.

5. Three quarters.

Dec. 20, 2005: 62 points on 18-of-31 from the field in three quarters vs. Dallas

The man didn’t even need to play the final period because the damage had already been done. Sixty-two points in three quarters. Your favorite player could never. Unless, of course, your favorite player is Kobe.

4. A longstanding record

Jan. 7, 2003: 45 points on 12-of-18 from three in win over Seattle

For 13 years, no player made more 3s in a game than Kobe Bryant. Of course, Stephen Curry broke Kobe’s record in 2016, but it took the greatest shooter of all-time to eclipse The Bean’s 12-trey mark by one.

3. Hi, Mike

March 28, 2003: 55 points on 15-of-29 from the field in win against MJ’s Wizards

OK, pitting a 40-year-old Michael Jordan against Kobe Bryant in the middle of his prime straight-up ain’t fair. But life ain’t fair, and you know what they call an unfair advantage on the basketball court? A damn mismatch.

Kobe destroyed Jordan and put up 55 on his idol, hitting 9 threes along the way. It was only right.

2. Kobe’s career-high

Jan. 22, 2006: 81 points on 21-of-33 from the field in win against Raptors

The second-most points scored in a single game in NBA history. Ever. It didn’t matter who was on the court. If you were in the game, you got some, too. Kobe was unstoppable. It was the brightest performance of a bright career.

1. The end of an era

April 13, 2016: 60 points on 16-of-29 from the field in comeback win vs. Jazz.

In his last act on an NBA court, Bryant dragged the Lakers from behind, lit the Jazz up for 60 points and came away with the win — just like he told Shaq he’d do. It was an unbelievable end to a Hall of Fame career. Somehow, if you watched this game, you knew it was bound to happen.