10 memorable NBA statistical performances from 2016

With 2016 now officially in the books, here's a look at 10 stat lines from some of the NBA's elite over the past 12 months that truly stood out from the pack, and will stand the test of time no matter what year it is.

Hassan Whiteside vs. Denver Nuggets (Jan. 15, 2016)

Line: 19 points, 8-of-13 shooting, 17 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and 11 blocks in 38 minutes

The long arm of the law resides in South Beach in the form of the Miami Heat's rim-protecting 27-year-old big man, who used his size and length to send shots flying in all directions against a Nuggets squad that unwisely didn't shy away from testing him.

Andre Drummond vs. Houston Rockets (Jan. 20, 2016)

Line: 17 points, 2-of-4 shooting, 13-of-36 from the free-throw line, 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 23 minutes

Memorable, yes, but for all the wrong reasons.

The Hack-a-Shaq strategy was deployed to near perfection, with the Rockets sending Drummond to the charity stripe enough times for him to set a new NBA record with 23 misses at the line.

Tyson Chandler vs. Atlanta Hawks (Jan. 23, 2016)

Line: 13 points, 3-of-10 shooting, 27 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks in 44 minutes

Lo and behold, Chandler hasn't entirely become a forgotten commodity over in Phoenix, as he's still capable of monster nights on the glass on occasions like this one.

In fact, the veteran five had more boards against Atlanta than he did in the following three games combined (24).

Kobe Bryant vs. Utah Jazz (April 13, 2016)

Line: 60 points, 22-of-50 shooting, four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block, in 42 minutes

Basketball fans said farewell to an icon when The Black Mamba took the floor at Staples Center for his last hurrah.

When the smoke cleared and the dust had settled, the five-time champion closed this chapter of his life with a scoring barrage for the ages, aided by his younger teammates continuing to feed him the ball over and over so the Los Angeles Lakers legend could go out with a bang.

Anthony Davis vs. Denver Nuggets (Oct. 26, 2016)

Line: 50 points, 17-of-34 shooting, 16 rebounds, five assists, seven steals, and four blocks in 41 minutes

Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor ... and Davis.

Fifty-point performances are fairly rare to begin with (only 12 players have done it the past two seasons), let alone on opening night. Well, Davis didn't want to wait long to make a giant impact to begin his fifth year, not only decimating the Nuggets his scoring, but also in all other facets of his game.

Stephen Curry vs. New Orleans Pelicans (Nov. 7, 2016)

Line: 46 points, 16-of-26 shooting, 13-of-17 from 3-point range, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 36 minutes

At the rate that The Chef shoots the rock from deep (he attempted a record 402 shots in 2015-16), having him be the one to break the single-game record for most 3-pointers pretty much seemed inevitable.

Klay Thompson vs. Indiana Pacers (Dec. 5, 2016)

Line: 60 points, 21-of-33 shooting, 8-of-14 from 3-point range, two rebounds, and one assist in 29 minutes

Ninety seconds is all the time Thompson needed to score a career-high 60 points, touching the ball 52 times and taking just 11 dribbles.

It pays to be the third or fourth best player on a championship roster when the alpha dogs command as much attention as they do. Stand around the perimeter, receive, and shoot - it's just that simple.

Russell Westbrook vs. Suns (Dec. 17, 2016)

Line: 26 points, 9-of-17 shooting, 11 rebounds, 22 assists, two steals, and one block in 34 minutes

This was one of Westbrook's 31 triple-doubles on the year, with the standout number here being the 22 assists he recorded.

It would be easy for someone of his athletic prowess and competitive spirit to look to take over constantly and ignore his teammates, who clearly aren't on his level. Westbrook isn't just any player, though, and with the extra motivation that comes with not having Kevin Durant around any longer, part of him presumably wants to shut up any naysayers he may have who doubt he has what it takes to run an offense efficiently.

Isaiah Thomas vs. Miami Heat (Dec. 30, 2016)

Line: 52 points, 15-of-26 shooting, 6-of-13 from 3-point range, and two rebounds in 37 minutes

When taking into account all of the famous names who have dawned Celtic green in the past, Thomas being mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Sam Jones following his 52-point outing is something the 5-foot-9 floor general doesn't take for granted.

He also dropped 29 points in the fourth quarter alone, something no Celtic great had ever done before. Not too shabby for a former 60th-overall selection.

James Harden vs. New York Knicks (Dec. 31, 2016)

Line: 53 points, 14-of-26 shooting, 9-of-16 from 3-point range, 16 rebounds, and 17 assists in 42 minutes

Up until the final day of the calendar year, no one player had ever scored 50-plus points, grabbed 15 or more rebounds, and dished out at least 15 assists in the same game.

Then Harden came along on New Year's Eve and became the first player to achieve that feat, while also accounting for 95 of Houston's points - a record in and of itself.