Kobe Bryant Dropped 62 Points Against The Dallas Mavericks: Remembering The Legendary NBA Performance Nine Years Later

Saturday, Dec. 20, marked the nine-year anniversary of one of the greatest NBA performances of all time, one that could have been even better.

On Dec. 20, 2005, Kobe Bryant torched the Dallas Mavericks for 62 points in a game the Los Angeles Lakers won 112-90. The most amazing thing about the performance? Bryant scored all 62 points through just three quarters, according to ESPN. After three quarters, the score was Bryant 62, entire Mavericks team 61.

This year is shaping up to be a swan song of sorts for Bryant. The Lakers are one of the worst teams in the NBA at 8-18 and sit in 13th place in the Western Conference. Plans to rebuild around Bryant have not gone well, due to roster construction and injuries. But Bryant recently passed Michael Jordan for third place on the all-time NBA scoring list, and his presence still provides the Staples Center with sell-out crowds.

So it's a fitting time to remember one of his best performances.

Back in 2005, the Lakers were trying to keep their heads above water after losing star center Shaquille O'Neal. They squeaked into the playoffs as the No.-7 seed in the Western Conference, only to lose to the Phoenix Suns in the first round. But Bryant led the NBA in field goals and points scored by dropping 35.4 per game. A few weeks after the Mavericks game, Bryant had 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors, which still stands as the second-highest, single-game total in NBA history.

As one sportswriter put it, Bryant was at a point in his career where you could "just sit back and enjoy the show." The Dallas game served as an Oscar-worthy performance. He scored more than 50 points seven times that season, according to ballislife.com.

Bryant scored 30 points in the third quarter alone in the win against the Mavericks before sitting out the entire fourth quarter to avoid injury. It wasn't necessary for then-coach Phil Jackson to risk his star's health, but it's fun now to imagine how high one of basketball's all-time greatest stars could have soared.