With no hoops on the calendar until Dec. 22, Warriors Wire is rewinding the tape through Golden State’s history for memorable matchups, standout performances and everything else in between.
Before registering an appearance in the NBA All-Star game with the Washington Wizards, Antawn Jamison developed into a budding pro with the Golden State Warriors.
During his five-season stint in Golden State, the former No. 4 overall pick out of North Carolina averaged 20.2 points on 45.4% shooting from the field with 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one steal per game.
With a steady list of impressive performances in the Bay Area on Jamison’s resume, his battle against future NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant might be at the top.
December 6, 2000
Coming off a loss to the Seattle Supersonics where he scored a career-high 51 points, Jamison wasn’t going to let another performance like that go to waste, even if it was against Bryant and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Picking up where he left off against the Sonics, Jamison notched 19 points in the first half to give Golden State a 62-57 lead at halftime. While Jamison was cooking in the first 24 minutes, Bryant wasn’t far behind him, scoring 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting in the first half.
While Jamison added another 12 points to his total, Bryant exploded for 17 points in the third quarter alone. Bryant’s scorching third quarter pushed the Lakers to a 10 point lead heading into the final quarter.
With 12 minutes remaining, Jamison struck back, recording another 12 points to lead Golden State’s fourth-quarter comeback. With 41 points at the final buzzer, Jamison was able to push Bryant and the Lakers into an overtime period with the score locked at 107.
In overtime, Bryant and Jamison traded heavyweight power punches. However, with the help of Larry Hughes and Bob Sura, Golden State was able to seal the upset victory at the Arena in Oakland, 125-122.
For the second consecutive game, Jamison finished with 51 points on 21-of-29 shooting from the field with 13 boards, five assists, two steals and a block in 53 minutes. Bryant matched Jamison with 51 points on 18-of-35 shooting with eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 51 minutes.
Via @NBATV On Twitter:
#OTD 20 years ago, Kobe & Antawn Jamison EACH dropped 51 PTS in this epic OT battle! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R1E4HhsRSh
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 6, 2020
Watch more highlights from Jamison’s thrilling duel with Bryant via YouTube:
