Even NBA players impressed with 138-point game
NBA players reacted in amazement to the incredible 138-point game from Grinnell College guard Jack Taylor on Tuesday night.
Taylor, a 5-foot-10 sophomore for the Division III school, set an NCAA record for points in a 178-104 win over Faith Baptist Bible College. He made 52 of 108 shots, including 27 of 71 3-pointers.
Bevo Francis of Rio Grande (Ohio) held the NCAA scoring record with 113 points in 1954.
Taylor became an overnight sensation, doing interviews with ESPN and on Wednesday morning with the Today show. The college athletic department received requests from as far as Australia.
"I don't think reality has set in yet," Taylor said after the game.
Count Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant among the impressed.
"That's crazy," he said. I don't care what level you're at, you score 138 points, it's pretty insane."
Bryant can sort of relate. He scored 81 points in a 2006 game.
"You gotta be in shape," he said.
Bryant was just as impressed with the number of 3-point shots taken by Taylor. When he heard Taylor launched 71 3-pointers, Bryant said, "Holy s---. How many points did they score as a team?" When told 179, Bryant said, "That's incredible."
Miami Heat star LeBron James was so awed that he said he wanted to watch a replay of the game.
"It's unbelievable, honestly," James said. "I would like to see the game. I want to see the game.
"I watched Kobe's game when he had 81. I watched some of the greatest games ever played when guys scored big numbers. There's two games that I would love to see: One was Wilt (Chamberlain), when he had 100, and this kid, I want to see him, too. Sir Jack."
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said of Taylor's feat: "I never heard of nothing like that. That's like a video game. How can you shoot 100 times, though?"
Oklahoma City center Cole Aldrich added on Twitter: "138 points is impressive, but I think shooting 108 times is more impressive."
