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Published 21:37 IST, January 28th 2020

Kobe Bryant & Shaquille O’Neal's Twitter chat about 81-point game has NBA fans in splits

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal's Twitter exchange from seven years ago gets NBA fans reminiscing. Bryant famously scored 81 points against the Raptors.

Reported by: Daniel Arambur
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Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal won three NBA finals (2001, 2002, 2003) playing alongside each other in the Lakers squad. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were involved in an inner-team conflict over the course of the 2004 season. The latter was allowed to leave for Cleveland Cavaliers the next season. However, the duo moved to resolve their differences later on and were known to be on good terms with each other before the tragic events that occurred on Sunday.

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Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal's hilarious exchange on Twitter from 2013

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Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant were involved in a tragic helicopter accident. It resulted in their death in California on Sunday. As the entire world mourns the loss of the legendary Lakers star, we recall this hilarious Twitter exchange between friends-turned-foes-turned-friends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. In a Twitter interaction from 2013, Shaquille O'Neal is seen asking Kobe Bryant about his famous 81-point game from 2006. Kobe Bryant's reply was simple yet hilarious.

Kobe Bryant 81 points

Playing against the Raptors, Kobe Bryant scored an incredible 81 points (28-of-46 shooting from the field, 7-of-13 from beyond the arc and 18-20 from the free-throw line) in just 42 minutes. The five-time NBA champion added six rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block. Kobe Bryant's historic haul of 81 points was the second-highest total in NBA history at that time. It was next only to the great Wilt Chamberlain's tally (100 in 1962).   

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Updated 21:55 IST, January 28th 2020

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