NBA: Kobe Bryant’s best games against every team

23. Kobe v. Cavaliers, January 30, 2001

47 points (12-26 FG), 23-26 FT

Kobe has been around for so long that this game was two uniform redesigns ago for the Cavaliers. Way back when, in the late 90s and early 00s, the Cleveland Cavaliers wore uniforms with periwinkle lettering and a basketball logo from Corel Gallery Magic 65K clipart.

This was in the era in Cleveland where you could snap a candid photo of Andre Miller doing what he loves most with his free time: casually leaning up against the Gund Arena with a basketball.

At 20-23 and going up against a team gunning for its third straight championship, the middling Cavs must have felt blessed when they heard that Shaquille O’Neal would be missing his second straight game with an injured foot. Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant was also feeling blessed; he could now show his abilities away from Shaq’s large 7-foot shadow.

Bryant did nearly half of his damage with free throws, pouring in 23 of 26 attempts. This was Bryant’s fifth 40+ point game in the season, an impressive figure at this point in his career when he shared the court with Shaq, and a humble number compared to what he was doing in 2006-07.

Next: #22