[WATCH] 10 Years Ago? Kobe Bryant Dropped 81 Points

It was January 22, 2006 and the Los Angeles Lakers were hosting the Toronto Raptors at the Staples Center.

It was a historic night and proved to be a symbol of what life was going to be like for Kobe Bryant without Shaquille O'Neal who had left for Miami a few seasons earlier.

Phil Jackson was the head coach at the time, on his second stint with the Lakers, but it was Smush Parker and Kwame Brown leading the way as running mates for Bryant who had it going on from start to finish.

He dropped 81 points in 42 minutes that night, adding in six rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss said he was "watching a miracle," according to the LA Times.

I think he was right.

Bryant went 28-of-46 shooting and 18-of-20 at the free throw line.

It was the biggest output in an NBA game since Wilt Chamberlain did it with the Warriors in 1962 at an empty arena in Hershey, PA.

With the New York Knicks in 2014, Carmelo Anthony made the biggest run at Chamberlain and Bryant when he dropped 62 points against Charlotte.

Not bad for a kid from Lower Merion, right?