Even Steph Curry admits he can't top this Kobe feat
Stephen Curry has turned the basketball world upside down with his unprecedented 3-point shooting ability.
The moment he crosses halfcourt, he's a threat to score. NBA defenses have never seen a shooter like him, and most feel helpless when deciding how to defend him without compromising the rest of their defense.
The last player to force defenses into such impossible decisions was prime Kobe Bryant, who notably scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors a decade ago.
While many feel as if Curry could do so if he really tried -- the greatest 3-point shooter ever should have a puncher's chance -- Curry himself admits that that's a record unlikely to be broken (via the Los Angeles Daily News):
“Not a chance,” Curry told Los Angeles News Group. “There’s a reason why people are still talking about that game to this day. It’s so special.”
The reality is that with the Warriors' style of play, and the way defenses can load up on or double team Curry, it'd be almost impossible for him to score close to 81 points. Modern defenses are designed to prevent one scorer from torching them, no matter how talented. Even when he's been in the zone this season, Curry hasn't been able to even crack the 60-point barrier.
If he truly wanted 81 points, Curry could probably get it. But it goes against the ethos of the Warriors, and thus isn't likely. Curry agrees:
“A lot of it has to do with our system and the way we play,” Curry said. “Kobe had a reason to get up as many shots as he did in the [Toronto] game. I don’t think anybody will get up 40-plus attempts no matter how hot they are. …
“The consistency is just unreal. I know he didn’t have too many weapons on that team. So Toronto was trying to stop him, and they couldn’t figure it out,” Curry said. “It boggles your mind to think how he did that.”
With Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes flanking him, Curry has too many offensive options to play selfishly and chase the record. Kobe had Smush Parker, Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown.
Who was he going to pass to? It's apples and oranges.
Ironically, after making these comments, Curry and the Warriors laid an egg against the Lakers, losing 112-95, to drop to 55-6 this season. Curry shot just 6-of-20 from the field (1-of-10 from deep) to finish with 18 points -- the inverse of 81.
Bryant wasn't much better, scoring 12 points of 4-of-14 shooting, but that's to be expected nowadays. Curry is the one smack dab in his prime and, though it didn't look it on Sunday, playing for one of the best regular-season teams in NBA history -- something Bryant couldn't claim in his prime years (roughly 2004 to 2008).
81 points may not be likely this season -- or ever -- but if the Warriors win back-to-back championships, does it even matter?
Jovan Buha covers the NBA for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @jovanbuha.
