College Basketball Player From Philadelphia Honors Kobe Bryant By Scoring 81 Points In Game
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A college basketball player from Philadelphia honored Kobe Bryant by dropping 81 points during a game on Monday night. Freshman guard Yazid Powell, a graduate of Overbrook High School, scored 81 points for the Community College of Beaver County in a 147-61 win over Butler County Community College.
Freshman Guard Yazid Powell (Philadelphia Native-Overbrook HS) of the Community College of Beaver County (PA) scores 81 points in honor of @kobebryant ... @espn @jemelehill @stephenasmith @ESPNNBA @NBA @BleacherReport @YahooSportsNBA pic.twitter.com/H4xF4Buird
— Daivon Jackson, MBA (@D_Jackson__) January 28, 2020
Rich Flanagan of the Delco Times reports Powell shot 35-for-52 in the win.
.@CCBCedu freshman Yazid Powell (Overbrook) went off for a historic night with 81 points in a 147-61 over Butler County Community College on Monday. He shot 35-for-52 (7-for-17 from three-point range) in 31 minutes. The 6-4 guard did it in honor of the late Kobe Bryant #RIPMamba
— Rich Flanagan (@richflanagan33) January 28, 2020
According to Bleacher Report, Powell airballed a free throw so he could stay at 81 points before he was taken out.
Kobe was freshman @zidpowell's favorite player.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 28, 2020
The Philly native dropped 8️⃣1️⃣ for the Community College of Beaver County in his honor.
Even airballed a free throw before coming out to stay at 81. pic.twitter.com/p5rPwf6Dhu
Powell tweeted he scored the 81 to honor his idol.
"Tonight I scored 81 points in the honor of my idol, favorite player, and someone who is the reason I start playing basketball this mean so much to me I want to thank my teammates and coaches for allowing me to accomplish this," he said on Twitter.
Tonight I scored 81 points in the honor of my idol, favorite player, and someone who is the reason I start playing basketball this mean so much to me I want to thank my teammates and coaches for allowing me to accomplish this ????????❤️ #DaTicket4200 #RipKobe #RipGiGi ???????? pic.twitter.com/f7RAeXfYOV
— ZID (@zidpowell) January 28, 2020
Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in Calabasas, California, famously scored 81 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 122-104 win over the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006.