Chicago Bulls radio announcer notes similarities between Donovan Mitchell's 71-point and Kobe Bryant's 81-point games

The current Chicago Bulls and former Toronto Raptors radio announcer Chuck Swirsky can lay claim to a rare distinction when it comes to the legendary NBA scoring performances of Kobe Bryant and Donovan Mitchell: he witnessed both.

Swirsky was behind the mic when Mitchell produced a stirring 71-point performance in Cleveland's 145-134 overtime win over Chicago. Apparently, it was quite similar to what Swirsky saw from Bryant nearly 17 years ago.

Kobe's 81-point masterpiece

It was January 22, 2006, when Kobe Bryant set the sports world on fire with his 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors that resulted in a 122-104 victory. For Swirsky, the atmosphere was electric at the Staples Center that night as Bryant produced one of the greatest individual performances ever seen in an NBA game.

Kobe was in an unstoppable zone during that game as he went 28-of-46 from the field, including 7-of-13 from beyond the arc and 18-of-20 from the foul line.

Swirsky pointed out some similarities between the two inspiring scoring feats despite the different ways that Kobe and Mitchell went about their business.

"Kobe had that sneer, that ferocious facial expression. Donovan has a different personality. He has a little bit of a joyful approach to the game, where Kobe was so immersed in every single play. But one thing they both have in common is the ability to perform on a big stage. And the other thing is they both won," said Swirsky.

Losing end

Another similarity between the two memorable performances is that Swirsky was working on the broadcast team of the losing squad. He narrated what it was like on the plane ride home, both for the Raptors and the Bulls.

"On the plane ride, we had a back-to-back after that game, against Denver. You could have heard a pin drop on that plane ride into Denver. I think the Raptors players, while they had so much respect from Kobe, no one wants to have 81 dropped on them," said Swirsky.

"The Bulls were also despondent because they had such a big lead and lost. But if you ask any NBA player, they have such great respect for each other. This is a fraternity where players do admire each other’s skill set," Swirsky added.