Just another day at the Office

Back-to-back 40-point performances for any player is nuts, but for someone to achieve that at the age of 33 in his 16th season with torn ligaments in his wrist is just unheard of. That's something Kobe Bryant can now add to his resume and is something no other player at that age can say they've accomplished. Off to one of the best starts of his career production-wise this season despite an ailing wrist that requires cortisone shots before and after games, the one they call the "Black Mamba" has proven time and time again that age is just a number. Though Kobe has encountered his struggles behind the arc as well as at the free-throw line, he's managed to utilize and rely on his jump-shot that has made him among the most dominant shooters in the game today.

Coming into Tuesday's Lakers-Suns game in Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant entered the contest with the most 40-point games among active players with 107. He would add to that mark by dropping a season-high 48-points in a winning effort against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. One night after becoming the oldest player in NBA history to log 48-points in a game, Kobe followed up his stellar performance with another 40-point outburst, this time on the road against the Utah Jazz in a 90-87 Overtime thriller in which the Lakers won. With the back-to-back 40-point performances in as many days, Kobe has now reached the 40-point mark in 109 games, ranking him third on the all-time list behind only Michael Jordan (173) and Wilt Chamberlain (271). Kobe's red hot streak as of late has also helped his stats quite a bit as he now leads the league in scoring by averaging 30.5 points per game, edging out Miami's LeBron James (29.0 PPG).

Say what you must whether you're a fan of his or not, but Kobe has continued to prove that he is still the most talented player in the league with Derrick Rose, LeBron James and Kevin Durant among others all waiting for him to pass the torch. See if Kobe can make it three 40-point performances in a row when he and the Lakers host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.