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“04,” answered Kobe Bryant when asked what motivates him to be so good particularly against the Detroit Pistons during the post-game interview following the LA Lakers’ 103-90 win.

It seems like the embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Pistons in 2004 NBA Finals is still in back of his mind. After all, this is the team that forced the break-up of what was a dynasty in the earlier half of last decade. A year later, the Lakers missed the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. So in essence, it’s not hard to understand Kobe’s grudge when he walks into the Palace of Auburn Hills, an arena that left a significant dent in his career.

But surely, the Pistons are no longer the same team that drubbed the Lakers in The Finals six years ago, and they won’t even come close to challenging for a title any time soon. So it certainly doesn’t come as a surprise that the Lakers were on cruise control throughout the game en route to their blow-out win over the Pistons. Kobe posted 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting.

Seeing a player of Kobe’s magnitude score 33 points against the pathetic Pistons team without Richard Hamilton shouldn’t come as a surprise, either, especially considering the number of players in today’s NBA who can score the basketball for fun against mediocre ball clubs.

However, Kobe’s 33 points were different, because he didn’t just score those points. He created them – everything about his performance, from how he twisted and turned his way to the basket to his ever so fundamentally sound footwork which created unique and yet perfect shooting angles to his silky smooth outside shots. Scorers in the NBA might be common, but Kobe’s scoring on his vintage night surely isn’t. There were no slam dunks that brought the house down nor astonishing athleticism in his scoring patterns either – none. It was simply a brilliant display of purest basketball skills.

This is what separates Kobe from the rest of the pack. If Kevin Durant scored over 30 points against a lottery-bound team, my reaction would be nothing more than an uninterested “meh.” But when it’s Kobe on a good shooting night dropping the same number, then the highlight reel of the game suddenly becomes worth my time even after watching the game live. Watching athletic young guns like Dwyane Wade or LeBron James on a high scoring night is a treat in its own right, but there’s something about vintage Kobe that makes him even more special.

The man needs neither athleticism nor flashy moves to put the crowd on its feet. His basketball skills are enough for him to use the court as an empty canvas on every possession. People often say what separates Kobe from the rest is his mental toughness, his killer instinct. But what most people overlook is how much more skilled he is as a basketball player than the other superstars in the NBA.

Enjoy him while he’s still around. A genius like him is surely the last of the dying breed.