Charlie Villanueva believes Luka Doncic belongs in the same conversation as Kobe Bryant when it comes to scoring. The former NBA forward made the comparison while discussing Bryant’s historic 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, which he witnessed firsthand.
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Reflecting on Bryant’s performance, Villanueva described it as “Elite.” “It’s a fact. Seen it firsthand,” he said. But his assessment of Doncic was equally striking, as he suggested the Lakers star could have scored 92 points against the same Raptors team.
The discussion turned to Doncic’s scoring ability and how Villanueva viewed him alongside Bryant. When asked to clarify his comparison, Villanueva emphasized that he was talking specifically about scoring.
“Scoring only. He’s in the room,” Villanueva said.
Hong then brought up Bryant’s historic performance, asking, “You watched him drop 81 in person.” Villanueva confirmed that he had witnessed it before Hong followed up, “And you think Luka’s on par with that?”
Villanueva then explained why he believed his earlier comments had been misunderstood. “Yeah, you gotta listen to the words that I say. It’s against me being misconstrued. I say he’s on par.”
He continued by clarifying that the comparison was not about Doncic being better than Bryant. “Doesn’t mean he surpassed him. Doesn’t mean he’s better. If you put Luka on that team, he’s scoring 92.”
The hypothetical takes viewers back to January 22, 2006, when Bryant delivered one of the greatest scoring performances in NBA history. The Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 122-104, with Bryant recording 81 points on 28-of-46 shooting. He also made seven three-pointers and converted 18 free throws. His total remains the third-highest individual scoring mark in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game and Bam Adebayo’s 83-point performance.
Villanueva was a rookie forward with Toronto during the 2005-06 season and was on the court that night. He scored 13 points in the game, giving him a firsthand connection to the performance he referenced while discussing Doncic.
Doncic has also delivered an extraordinary scoring performance of his own. On January 26, 2024, he recorded a career-high 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 148-143 victory. He shot 25-of-33 from the field, made eight three-pointers, and added 10 rebounds and seven assists.
That performance demonstrated the scoring ability behind Villanueva’s comparison. However, his suggestion that Doncic could have reached 92 points against Toronto remains a hypothetical rather than an actual statistical projection.
Villanueva’s argument was ultimately about Doncic’s scoring level, not a declaration that he had surpassed Bryant. By invoking the 81-point performance he witnessed firsthand, he made his confidence in Doncic’s offensive ability clear. Whether Doncic could actually have reached 92 remains a hypothetical, but Villanueva clearly believes he belongs among the game’s elite scorers.