"I beat ya!": Lakers' play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald on calling Kobe Bryant's 81-point game, racing with him, Chick Hearn and more (Exclusive)

The Lakers’ enthusiastic television play-by-play announcer witnessed the late Kobe Bryant at his absolute best, both when he scored a career-high 81 points and when he posted 60 points in his final NBA game.

But as he reflected on both his stints with Fox Sports West and Spectrum SportsNet, Bill Macdonald also cherished seeing another side of Bryant’s competitiveness. That happened after a Lakers game when both Bryant and Macdonald were about to drive to their respective homes in Newport Beach, Calif. Then, Bryant challenged Macdonald to see who could race home first.

Unsurprisingly, Bryant became determined to win more than five NBA championships.

“He just laughed at me the next time he saw me and said, ‘I beat ya!’ He saw me and had that Kobe laugh of his,” Macdonald told Sportskeeda. “He said, ‘I’m not going to let you beat me.’ I said, ‘Of course not, but you had a huge advantage with your car over mine!’ I tried to make him feel a little bit guilty. It was fun.”

Lakers announcer Bill Macdonald on Kobe Bryant, LeBron and more (full interview)

Macdonald spoke to Sportskeeda about numerous topics, including his interesting backstory on calling Bryant’s career 81-point game (Jan. 22, 2006) and reliving Bryant’s 60-point performance in his final NBA game (April 13, 2016). Macdonald also reflected on LeBron James eclipsing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, calling games with Lakers analyst Stu Lantz and how Chick Hearn, the Lakers’ late play-by-play announcer, impacted him. (The Lakers will play the Phoenix Suns in an in-season tournament game on Friday at 7 pm PT on Spectrum SportsNet).

Editor’s note: The following 1-on-1 conversation has been condensed and edited.

Kobe’s 81-point game has an incredible backstory, both with his accomplishment and with you unexpectedly handling that assignment. Can you walk me through the day with your backstory and then seeing how Kobe’s performance unfolded?

Macdonald: “At the time, I was doing pre and post-game shows [for Fox Sports West]. Joel [Meyers] was the play-by-play announcer for television. But he had many other jobs. He’s a talented guy and was doing NFL football on the radio on Sundays. On that Sunday [Jan. 22, 2006), there was going to be a playoff game (AFC championship game between Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos). Joel had an option to do that as well as his Lakers job. He was going to be gone, so they asked me if I could fill in. I’m going, ‘Sure, why not?’ This is probably my only chance to do a Lakers game. I was not thinking down the road that I’m going to be doing the games myself. I was doing everything else for Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West at the time. But they said, ‘You’re the Lakers guy; you’ve done play-by-play before. Why don’t you do it?” So it was a chance to work with Stu, who had worked with Chick. I knew the whole crew. It was fun and exciting. Anytime you can do what Chick did and call a game for the team you rooted for growing up, it’s always going to be fun. So it’s a nondescript Sunday in January and a year the Lakers aren’t going anywhere. There are no real championship aspirations, and they were playing the Toronto Raptors."

"But I prepped like I prep for anything. I’ll prep the same for a high school game, a college game or a Lakers game. I was ready to go and it was exciting. The game starts, and I can’t believe I’m sitting with Stu doing a game. Kobe is having a pretty good game, but nothing ridiculous. He had a really good first half, but it wasn’t anything where you thought a record was about to happen. The Lakers were behind. Then the second half starts. Then, Kobe is making everything and from everywhere. Everybody is looking for him. He winds up getting 55 [points] in the second half! I remember us counting down, ‘Now he’s broken Elgin Baylor's Lakers record. Now he’s topped Wilt [Chamberlain’s] Lakers’ record.’ Stu was laughing, and we kept looking at each other. We knew something great was happening. But this was before Twitter was big. We remarked to each other, ‘The sound you hear is everybody picking up their phone and calling everybody.’ Now everyone would just be texting each other and posting things on Twitter. Back then, people got aware of it but not at the lightning speed it would’ve been today. I remember telling Joel, ‘I appreciate the fact that I was here filling in for you.’"

"It was remarkable with Kobe’s total points and the fact the Lakers came all the way back and won the game. The Lakers needed every one of Kobe’s 81 points. He had put on a lot of high-scoring games. Remember, he had 62 [points] against Dallas in three quarters [in 2005]. If that was a close game, maybe he would’ve gone to 90! Who knows. This just happened to be the right circumstance where he was left in the game, and we got a chance to do it. That night was all about Kobe. But it was fun for me because I got a chance to do a Lakers game and hang out with Stu. It just so happened that Kobe had the game of his life.”

What was your favorite moment of that night?

Macdonald:

"My favorite moment was when Stu and I looked at each other. We look at each other now a lot during the broadcast. But that was the first time. We looked at each other and said, ‘Something really special is going on.’ When Kobe went off the court, Stu said, ‘Excuse me while I put my headset down and stand up to give Kobe a standing ovation.’ And he did! Stu was very close to Kobe. It was a big moment for him. It was a nothing Sunday that turned into an everything Sunday. It's an iconic 81-point game."

"The funny part is I’m doing a different game the next day. I’m doing a WCC game [West Coast Conference] at USD [University of San Diego]. I remember people telling me, ‘This has got to be a letdown.’ But I prepped just the same for that game. We put just as much effort into that game, even if it obviously isn’t the same. You got to get ready for everything. At Fox, I was doing every sport just about every night. I moved from one sport to the next with one analyst from the next to the next. So, I had to get ready for that college basketball game the next day. It was a fun time doing all of those different events and working with so many different people.”

How does that experience compare to calling Kobe’s last game? On one hand, the difference is we knew ahead of time this would be special because it was his last game. On the other hand, we also didn’t know Kobe would do something special with dropping 60.

Macdonald: “Yeah, it was much different. There was a ton more emotion in that last game. We knew Kobe was retiring at the end of that season. It was a long buildup for that. We had that game marked on the calendar. I remember flying home before that game even happened. Kobe came back with us all in the back of the plane. He came back and talked to us and took pictures. We had pictures of him in the back of the plane before that game. The funny thing about it is he would go get worked on with a physiotherapist or a massage therapist before every game in Newport Beach. I also live in Newport Beach. My kids and I happened to eat at a restaurant the night before Kobe’s final game. We come out of the parking lot, and Kobe is coming out of getting worked on. So Kobe stood with my boys and me in the parking lot for 10 minutes just breaking down that this is it for him. It was a cool moment for me and my boys to share that. Kobe was ready to do it and ready to go. He knew the time had come that he would call it a career. To share that with him and my boys the night before was really fun."

"Then we go to the game, and there is a huge buildup. You know what it was like outside. It was an exact 180 of the non-descript Sunday in January of Kobe’s 81-point game. This was the biggest thing in Los Angeles and for Lakers fans. Hours before the game, people were packed at LA Live. Kobe was everybody’s Laker for that generation. He meant so much to so many. The crowd was into it from the get-go. We all knew Kobe wanted to have a good game. But he wound up shooting 50 shots! At first, he wasn’t shooting well. But the last five minutes of that game is something you’ll never forget. I get choked up now thinking about it. You can hear what it meant to me and Stu. It meant a lot to both of us, and everybody that was there. I also remember the [Golden State] Warriors were going for 73 wins that same night. I know a lot of people wondered, ‘What am I going to watch?’ If people were watching the Warriors, they were all switching to the Lakers."

"Those last five minutes are something I’ve never seen. I’ve never seen that place so loud. What a farewell. It's one of the greatest swan songs in the history of swan songs. Kobe may have shot 50 times. But he had to make them! If you and I shoot 50 times, we’ll make like two of them. Kobe is making enough to get to 60 [points]. Never have I seen the building like that.”

Do you remember what point in the game it was when you realized Kobe was going to have an epic performance?

Macdonald: “The momentum started building late. The Lakers were down by eight or 10 points late in that game. Then, Kobe made a driving layup. Then, Kobe made a 3-pointer. Then, Kobe brings it down. Of course, Kobe brought it down! Then he hits a jump shot in the corner. We had fun, and we were dialed in. We were prepared and ready for it. The game met our expectations. We were having fun as much as we were enjoying a historic moment. It was a night where everything came together.”

Outside of those two Kobe games, what’s your favorite Kobe memory?

Macdonald: “This is a funny moment. We both lived in Newport Beach in different areas. Sometimes, we would drive out of the parking lot together. One day on a Sunday afternoon, I was there with one of my boys and his cousin. We’re going to drive back together. Kobe looks at me and says, ‘I’ll race you home.’ Kobe is the most competitive guy in the world. But I’m like, ‘All right; let’s go.’ I don’t remember what car he had, but his car was probably 50 times better than mine and more powerful. He gets out and gets a big lead. I lose him and don’t know where he is. He’s gone. I didn’t expect to see him on the freeway at any point."

"But we get to the 405 [freeway], and the traffic has stopped. All of a sudden, I look over to the other lane and there he is! Kobe’s in a lane that has stopped, and my lane is moving! We drove past him. I roll my window down and slow down. He can’t go anywhere, but I’m moving. I make sure he sees me, and I give him the finger [laughs] and say, ‘Kobe, I’m going to beat you!’ [laughs]. He’s howling in the car. You could then tell that it was on. From that point, we were weaving in and out of traffic all the way to Newport Beach. But, of course, he beat me. We were laughing back and forth with each other. It’s the competitive nature of him. He just laughed at me the next time he saw me and said, ‘I beat ya!’ He saw me and had that Kobe laugh of his. He said, ‘I’m not going to let you beat me.’ I said, ‘Of course not, but you had a huge advantage with your car over mine!’ I tried to make him feel a little bit guilty. It was fun.”

"We also had Thanksgiving one year in Detroit [in 2013]. He bought dinner for everybody. That was him putting that tab up. Adrian Garcia and Kobe were throwing the football around. He was at the ping-pong table with [Mike] Trudell. Kobe didn’t want to lose. Everybody who is in television or radio or who is with the team as a coach or a player, they are your family on the road. You as a former beat writer, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re gone at odd times. Fortunately enough, I had so much time to be able to spend with my three boys and their extended families. But being away on Thanksgiving when you have a family is tough. But you’re with your road and team family. So for someone like Kobe to make you feel a part of that get-together is cool. They’re the show. We’re the sideshow and just helping out. He went out of his way to mingle and play games with everybody. He didn’t just hang with his guys or leave. He hung out the whole time.”

Fast forward to last year, what will you remember about calling the game where LeBron broke Kareem’s all-time scoring record?

Macdonald: “We knew at some point that LeBron was going to pass Kareem. But I didn’t necessarily know that I would be doing the game because 12 times out of the year, we don’t do the game because the Lakers are only on national TV. So it’s getting into the portion of the season where a lot of the games are on national TV. We kept thinking that LeBron will want to break the record against the Warriors or he’ll want to do it against someone else on national TV. But LeBron didn’t care. He just wanted to play the game. So when it got closer, the tension got bigger. His family was there that night. He had all of these reps from Nike. Everybody was there. We’re thinking he’s going to have to score a lot to get it. But he was going to have it. It was fun."

"It was one of those atmospheres where everybody knew it was going to happen. But I never scripted anything. Some guys do. That’s cool. You kind of know what you want to say. But you have to let the moment dictate it. How do you know what the play is going to be? You don’t. You didn’t know if he’d throw down a dunk, hit a jump shot or do it on a free throw. So I didn’t want to have a ridiculous thing I would say. But the energy in the building was great. LeBron is one of a kind. It meant a lot to LeBron. You could tell it meant a lot to his family. It was fun having that moment and being there.”

On top of that, how did you process seeing someone break Kareem’s record knowing that Chick rightfully so said at the time that no one would ever break it?

Macdonald: “You realize don’t say never about anything. Never say it’ll never be broken. Some records seem out of sight. But you never know. Here’s the other thing. LeBron might play until he’s 45. If he plays three or four more years, that record would get out of sight. You would think so, but maybe not. But he’s still playing at this ridiculously high level. It’s pretty crazy for him to be doing that in his 21st year.”

Chick Hearn is the gold standard for NBA broadcasters

What’s your favorite Chick story?

Macdonald: “I was that guy that always listened to Chick through the transistor radio. In bed, I’m listening to Chick. The first time that Chick ever came up, I was working for the Lazers’ indoor soccer team in the 80s. What a time to be alive. But my memory of Chick was getting to know him a little bit. Chick Hearn would say hello to me. I called Lazer indoor soccer games, and I was in the exact same seat that Chick sat. But after Lakers games, I would be in there and Chick would be in the press room and he’d always say hello. Just to get to see Chick and [his wife] Marge was as huge as any one particular moment."

"The wit that he had was unparalleled. With the way he called a game, we all took bits and pieces from him that we all use today. That was all Chick Hearn. We think about him every night. His mic is up on the wall. We called the booth, ‘Chick’s Nest.’ I’d often say something that Chick would say, and I always think about him when I say it. He never goes away in a good way. You can never fill his shoes. There will never be another one. But I’m one of the ones down the line in Chick’s seat. It’s exactly the way we think about it, and the way it should be.”

Do you have a favorite ‘Chick-ism’?

Macdonald: “If anybody watches the game, you’ll hear them creep in. But out of respect for Chick, I will never put the game in the refrigerator because that’s up to Chick to do that. He’s the only one who can close the door. But other than that, I’ll take everything I can learn from him with his calls. I’ll find myself saying something I never said before that is deep in the back of my sports brain because of listening to Chick Hearn growing up. Stu will crack up because he knows exactly what’s happening. Stu loves it. I’m a fan and speaking to the fans. If you can bring a Chick-ism, that’s great.”

Out of all the games you listened to Chick calling growing up and as a broadcaster, which of his calls during a memorable moment sticks with you the most?

Macdonald: “Longtime Lakers fans will remember this, but this goes back pretty far. There are a lot of moments with championships, playoff games and great individual performances. But as far as one singular moment, I’ll never forget when Jerry West threw one up [from 60 feet[ against the Knicks [in the 1970 Finals.] I’ll never forget Chick’s call: ‘West shot from the backcourt …. a 60 footer…….GOOD!’ Man, there was this dramatic pause and then ‘GOOD’ in only the way that Chick could do it. I don’t know if Chick’s actual call is out there anywhere! I never hear it. But I think people talk about it. So I have a memory ingrained in my mind on a call that is not out there. Maybe that’s the way it should be. I was a kid. I was sitting on the bed hanging on every word. Man, what a great moment for a Lakers fan.

You and Stu are often praised for calling it like you see it – praising the Lakers when they play well and being candid when they’re not. Why is this approach important to you?

Macdonald: “That was Chick’s deal. We’re always going to keep it that way. It is a fine line. You do know that you’re the Lakers broadcaster and are broadcasting mostly to Lakers fans. So you get a little more excited when the Lakers make a play. But we also give props to the opposition all the time. It might drive Lakers fans nuts. But we’re just following in Chick’s footsteps. A lot of other announcers that are great do that as well. Stu would not have it any other way. He has to keep it real. If the Lakers are playing poorly, we’re going to tell you the Lakers are playing poorly. All of those years [from 2014-19] were tough years. They were the worst team in the league almost. But you go there every night and prepare because something exciting may happen."

"You know you’re delivering entertainment. You owe it to the fans. I will give the Lakers props. The Lakers never tell us what to say, ever. We can say whatever we want. It’s an unbelievable thing to say about that organization. We’ll never go over the line because we know it. But they know if they’re playing poorly, you have to talk about it. I know there are other teams that don’t want their announcers to do that, or don’t let them or give them talking points. We can say whatever we want. It’s pretty awesome. To Laker fans, we’re all in this together. We’re all here. We want them to do well. But we’re here to entertain."

"What I’m most happy about is being with Stu. We do this for the fans. I’ve always been a Lakers fan. If we can entertain you, that’s awesome. Stu talked about wanting to retire when Kobe retired [in 2016], but he stayed. Stu didn’t know if he wanted to stay on. We had done it for a few years and had become pretty good friends. But he has stayed on for a while. We have so much fun together. Forget the fact that Stu doesn’t have a hobby. We always laugh about that. What else is he going to do? He does Lakers games. He has a great family and has a great life down in the San Diego area. But the fact that he has enjoyed this that much is special. Chick is one of a kind, but we’ve forged a thing together where we enjoy each other on the road. The games we call together are fun. He stayed after thinking he’d call it quits because he’s having so much fun. It’s not just with me. It’s the group that we have. We have a really good group of guys. You’ve seen us. When you walk into the press room, we sit around the table and just talk about everything.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.