Jan. 18, 1997
18 years, 148 days
It may not seem like much now, but at the time scoring 21 points tied Kobe Bryant’s career high.
The then-rookie played the most hotly contested game of his young career, as the Lakers fell to Detroit in double overtime, 100-97.
Bryant hit eight shots off the bench — the second-most of his first year in the NBA — on just 13 attempts. He also hit a trio of 3-pointers while handing out five assists.
Meantime, Shaquille O’Neal went about rewriting the box score with 18 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks.
But even O’Neal’s night paled when compared to Grant Hill, who dominated every facet of his triple-double with 34 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists.
Kobe performances on this day in history: