Feb. 28, 2004
25 years, 189 days
Kobe Bryant may not have been the night’s leading scorer, but he was certainly the most dangerous weapon on the floor.
While Shaquille O’Neal scored 29 points to counter 35 from Washington’s Gilbert Arenas, Bryant stitched together his ninth career triple-double to lead the Lakers to a 122-110 win in D.C.
Bryant finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and it was clear that he was going to be a major threat from the beginning.
He tallied 11 points and six rebounds in the first quarter alone, as the Lakers maintained a comfortable lead through most of the contest.
However, that changed when the Wizards trimmed Los Angeles’ lead down to one midway through the fourth quarter.
But L.A. had a furious response, immediately jumping out to a 20-4 run to bury its hosts.
Led by Bryant, the Lakers handed out 37 assists — their most in six years — while also shooting 55.6 percent.
Kobe performances on this day in history: