College Basketball Player Honors Kobe Bryant by Scoring 81 Points
Community College of Beaver County freshman guard Yazid Powell scored 81 points in his school's 147–61 victory over Butler County Community College as a tribute to Kobe Bryant. The Lakers legend and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine passengers killed in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday morning.
Powell, who switched his jersey number from No. 1 to No. 24, shared news about the performance on Twitter after the game.
"Tonight I scored 81 points in the honor of my idol, favorite player, and someone who is the reason I start playing basketball this mean so much to me I want to thank my teammates and coaches for allowing me to accomplish this," he wrote.
ESPN added that he missed his final free throw to remain at 81 points.
Bryant scored 81 points in the Lakers' Jan. 22, 2006 victory over the Toronto Raptors. The performance ranks as the second-most points scored in an NBA game behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points on March 2, 1962.
On Sunday, Bryant and his daughter were en route to a game at Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park when the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter went down in Calabasas and a fire broke out. Authorities and officials are continuing to investigate what went wrong when the plane went down. Two of Gianna Bryant's teammates, an assistant coach, the helicopter pilot and three other adults were killed in the crash.
More Coverage of Kobe Bryant's Death:
- Kobe Bryant, Daughter Die in California Helicopter Crash
- For the Bryant Family, An Unimaginable Loss
- Kobe Bryant Left His Mark as a Generational Hero
- Sports World Reacts to Kobe Bryant's Sudden Death
- Remembering Kobe Bryant: Sports Illustrated Covers Through the Years
- Spurs-Raptors Open Game With Shot Clock Violations to Honor Kobe
- Shaq Reflects on Kobe's Passing: "There’s No Words to Express the Pain"
