Kobe Scores 61 to Set MSG Record in Lakers Victory

Of all the Broadway shows, grand museums, chic galleries, and lavish nightclubs that New York City has to offer, there was no better ticket in town Monday night than a seat in Madison Square Garden as the Knicks tried to slowdown the Lakers.

Not only were the fans treated to this year's chapter of one of the great NBA rivalries, but they also got to watch history in the making. And who better to make history than Kobe Bryant? In the Lakers' 126-117 win, Kobe reeled in a Garden record 61 points and shot a perfect 20-for-20 from the free throw line. Hats off to Kobe, who was showered with "MVP" chants during every trip to the charity stripe, and received a standing ovation after breaking the MSG scoring record. It was hard to tell who the New York City crowd liked more: The Lakers or Kobe Bryant?

If there was one word that best described Kobe, that word would be "kangamangus," but luckily there are several words that describe him, and the one I'll focus on here is "grounded." After ballin' outta control in the 'world's most famous arena' in the biggest city in America, one might expect a 30-year old hoops star to be giddy with excitement and disbelief, like a long-shot hall monitor that won Prom Queen. But no. During the post-game press conference, Kobe appeared unfazed by his performance, focused on where the team stood, and seemingly embarrassed by the attention he was getting—almost as if his greatness is a distraction for the team and their championship mission. All he mentioned about his performance was that he was 'feeling good during warm ups.' Either he's unimpressed by scoring 20 points less than his career-high, or he's just that mature and humble, but probably a combination of the two.

Writing then reading between the lines, those of us who watched it witnessed something else take place last night. We saw a man set out on a mission, work his tail off, chase history, and make the tackle in the end. It's not easy to beat the Knicks—they're a strong young team with a great coach in D'Antoni. But still, they'd been beaten 25 times already this season. You could tell from the first shot he took, that Kobe wasn't looking to merely do something that had been done 25 times since November, his sights were set on achieving a feat that hadn't been matched in 25 years: scoring 60 in Madison Square Garden.

And whether or not scoring 61 points against the Knicks is applause-worthy, one thing is for sure: this exhibition of ability, force, and determination was a rare flash, seldom seen these days in the great performances of Lance Livestong, Tiger, and Jason Bourne.

Kobe Diem!