Kobe Bryant’s name was often enough to remember his abilities to turn a game within a matter of time. And Los Angeles Lakers fans surely remember when the NBA legend Kobe Bryant went on to destroy the Toronto Raptors arguably single-handedly in January 2006. However, John Salley revealed that Phil Jackson, the then-coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, benched Kobe for his scoring abilities. And NBA fans went crazy over this revelation by John Salley.

In the very first month of 2006, Kobe Bryant showcased a brilliant performance against the Toronto Raptors. The Los Angeles Lakers fans who witnessed the performance could never forget it. The match ended with a box score of 104-122 and Bryant finished with a score of 81 points, 2 assists, and 6 rebounds. Kobe Bryant turned a 20-point deficit into a 20-point lead by scoring an astonishing 55 points in the second half. He went on to etch his name as the second-most points scorer ever in an NBA game.

Fans reflect on John Salley’s revelation about Kobe Bryant

In a recent interview with Shannon Sharpe, John Salley revealed that Phil Jackson benched Kobe in that match to halt his score from reaching 100. Salley revealed that Phil Jackson benched Kobe because he said, “Some records need to stand.” He further added, “He?s No. 2. He doesn?t need to be No. 1.”

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However, the former four-time NBA champion didn’t quite like the statement by Jackson. He went on to say that Kobe was on 81 points and could have easily reached 104 points. John Salley’s thoughts were clear, as he knew Kobe Bryant would keep getting fed by his teammates and eventually break that record. However, it didn’t happen, and it also seemed like Jackson didn’t want Kobe Bryant to break the record of Wilt Chamberlain either, according to Salley.

Meanwhile, NBA fans voiced their opinions on the claims of John Salley. They commented that the claims of the former Lakers legend were unreal. They also added that Kobe could never reach 100 points with only one minute left in the quarter.

Here are some of the reactions from NBA Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Dreamville103/status/1590109509061443584?s=20&t=2f6rA9UGniV5hl1UQzy5SQ

It seems NBA fans thought the claims of John Salley shouldn’t be taken seriously. They also went on to clarify that Bryant could possibly have never reached the score of 100 points with just under one minute left in the game.

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What are your thoughts about John Salley’s comments on Kobe Bryant? Let us know in the comments below.