100 Points In Three Easy Steps

Three factors that must be in play for any NBA player to match Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game from 1962 - and three reasons why Kobe Bryant is the man to do it:

First, selfishness. Call it what you will - a gunner's mentality, a champion's resolve, "getting my points in the flow of the game," to use a Michael Jordan standard - one must be downright selfish to reach 100 points. That's not a criticism, by the way. If Kobe doesn't shoot, the Lakers don't win. Check www.82games.com for Kevin Pelton's excellent analysis of Bryant's value to the Lakers: "Bryant's presence has been worth 22.0 points per 100 possessions to the Lakers offense this season, far and away the biggest difference made on offense by any NBA player."

For the season, Bryant has recorded a league-high 1,082 field goal attempts, an average of 27.7 per game, or 34 percent of the Lakers' total. By comparison, Allen Iverson has taken 31 percent of Philadelphia's shots this year, and LeBron James has hoisted 28 percent of Cleveland's attempts. I couldn't find a sortable stat category for "highest percentage of team's total field goal attempts" - are you listening, 82games.com? - but I'm willing to bet that Bryant is the league leader.

During the 1961-62 season, Wilt Chamberlain took 3,159 of the Philadelphia Warriors' 8,929 shots, for a total of 35 percent. In that sense, Bryant is on pace with Wilt. I wonder if anybody considered Chamberlain a ball hog in 1962.

Among the many differences between 1962 and 2006, of course, is the magic stripe at 23 feet, nine inches. Kobe took 13 three-pointers against Toronto and made seven, giving him 21 of his 81 points from beyond the arc. Even if Wilt wanted to step out - and why would he, playing against 6-5 centers - he never had the option, as the three-pointer wasn't adopted into the NBA rulebook until 1979 (Chris Ford. GREAT trivia question). With the three-point line in play, 100 seems that much more realistic, especially for a volume shooter like Bryant.

Second factor: teammates. They can't merely be willing spectators - they must be active participants. On Sunday against the Raptors, the Lakers recorded a grand total of 18 assists, two of those coming from Kobe. Hardly the Rip Hamilton Triple-Screen treatment. The fact that Bryant was doing most of the heavy lifting by himself makes the 81 even more startling.

The teammate factor is clearly the biggest challenge for Bryant. Anyone who spent time with the Miami Heat during their 2004 playoff run - as I did - would agree that while rookie Dwyane Wade was the most talented player on the floor, Lamar Odom was the engine of that team. In Los Angeles, Phil Jackson has made it a point to cultivate those leadership skills from Odom, and there are signs that Odom is buying in. Still, if the Lakers want to see Kobe hit the hundred, Lamar better be on board. If he's in, nobody cares what Smush Parker thinks.

Third factor: a permissive coach. We've all heard the story of how Jackson turned to assistant coach Frank Hamblen late in the fourth quarter and suggested it was time to get Bryant off the floor, to which Hamblen replied, "I don't think you can - he has 77 points." Jackson decided to "stay with it until he hit 80."

Good thing. Good thing also that Bryant didn't turn an ankle while driving for his 46th field goal attempt. Did I mention that Bryant represents nearly $16 million of the Lakers' $73 million dollar annual payroll? If any modern-day player is to reach 100 again, they must have the blessing - and the confidence - of a head coach willing to roll the dice. It's not just calling plays for a guy, it's allowing him to stay on the floor. With the guaranteed money factor, that's an enormous gamble.

On Sunday, Toronto led by 18 at one point in the third quarter, mandating Kobe's services and taking Phil off the hook. The Lakers led by 6 to start the fourth, and were up by 15 with two minutes to play when Jackson made his comment to Hamblen. Bryant was needed, so he played. But what if the Lakers were up by twenty when Bryant hit the 60-point mark? Would Jackson have kept him in? Remember, he pulled Bryant from a game against Dallas last month when Kobe hit 62 after three quarters, a game that LA won by 22. The coach has to be on board, too.

Phil Jackson has nine rings, all the money in the world, and the affections of the owner's daughter. Furthermore, and more importantly, he was willing to come back and coach a player whom he once savaged for 304 printed pages. I'm inclined to believe that Phil thinks he's playing with house money. If 100 is in range, Kobe stays on the floor.

And if anyone can do it, he's the guy.