Video: Kobe Bryant Posts A Triple-Double In Lakers Win, & Enters An Exclusive Club

Kobe Bryant, the facilitator? Sounds weird, right, except that’s exactly the role Kobe inhabited last night in the Lakers’ 129-122 overtime win over the Eastern Conference leading Raptors at Staples Center. While the night featured 12 Bryant dimes, a rarity during his Hall-of-Fame career, there were also at least one play that sums up Bryant’s rage against the dying of the light, too. We hope he never retires and plays until he’s 100.

Here he is complaining about an uncalled foul on Lou Williams, despite having a wide-open look at the basket. Then, he unleashes a perfect step-back and nails the jumper, plus the foul for good measure. It’s so Kobe (by way of SB Nation’s Mike Prada)

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Bryant finished with a game-high 31 points (11/24), but he also snatched 10 boards and passed for 12 assists. While he might not seem like a pass-first guard — or for those drinking the Mamba Haterade, a pass at all guard — he also became the only player in NBA history with 30,000 career points and 6,000 career assists. Not even MJ.

So while Kobe definitely shot his team into the game and to the victory, he also had a dozen pretty remarkable passes, something that’s been overlooked as we all rush to label him a ball hog of the highest possible degree.

It’s not that Kobe can’t pass — he could probably lead the league in assists if he wanted — it’s that he’s a shooter and a scorer, and he’s never tried to reinvent himself as something that he’s not.

Will Kobe keep passing to help the Lakers turn it around?

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