Jalen Rose Says Kobe Bryant Ordered Martini with 81 Olives After 81-Point Game

Joseph Zucker @@JosephZuckerFeatured ColumnistAugust 18, 2020

Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant (8) drive past Toronto Raptors' Jalen Rose, left, and Chris Both in the fourth quarter of a NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, in Los Angeles (AP Photo/Matt A. Brown)

MATT A. BROWN/Associated Press

When you're savoring a historic performance, theatricality trumps practicality.

During halftime of the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics' first-round playoff matchup, Jalen Rose recounted how Kobe Bryant once requested 81 olives with a martini he ordered.

ESPN @espn
“I saw Kobe after he dropped 81 at a restaurant, and he ordered a martini with 81 olives ... Rest in peace, legend." @JalenRose reacts to Jamal Murray seeing Donovan Mitchell after he scored 57 against the Nuggets. https://t.co/pF7JhFSgHl

The moment was also referenced in the pilot for Rose's series, Jalen vs. Everybody.

Did Bryant really need 81 olives? Almost assuredly not. But how could he pass up an opportunity to revel in his 81-point performance on Rose and the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006?