# Kobe Bryant's 81-point game

> Bryant’s 81-point game became full-game replays, highlights, merchandise and a statue.

- Owner: Kobe Bryant / Los Angeles Lakers / NBA
- Kind: Moment
- Sector: Sports
- Seed date: 2006-01-22
- Peak proxy date: Week of Jan 23, 2006
- Date basis: Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 42 (Notable, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Platform jump, Controversy, Scarcity drop, Resale market

## Summary

Bryant scored 81 as the Lakers beat Toronto and led coverage ahead of NFL playoff results. The game moved through broadband replays, YouTube and a Nike-backed Twitter watch-along, then became memorabilia, anniversary shoes, a museum exhibit and a statue.

## Timeline

- 2006-01-22 — Kobe Bryant / Los Angeles Lakers (TV) — Bryant scored 81 against Toronto as the Lakers won 122-104, the second-highest individual total at the time.
- 2006-01-23 — Los Angeles Times (Press) — The Los Angeles Times led its game report with Bryant’s scoring total and the Lakers’ comeback win.
- Week of Jan 23, 2006 — Peak proxy: ESPN.com / SportsCenter (Press) — Bryant displaced NFL playoff results atop ESPN.com and SportsCenter, anchoring the week’s press-prominence proxy.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/kobe-81-points

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Kobe Bryant's 81-point game.” Case HIS-01418. Spread Score v1.2: 42/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01418