"That's my favorite player of all time" - OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander credits Los Angeles Lakers legend as major influence ahead of NBA Finals Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
has led his team to the NBA Finals, and as they chase a championship, he's opening up about the player who shaped his career:
. Despite never meeting the Los Angeles Lakers legend, Gilgeous-Alexander says Bryant's impact on his game and mindset is undeniable.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander names Kobe Bryant as his favorite player
, the 2024-25 NBA MVP, didn't hold back when asked about Bryant's influence during media availability before Game 2 of the Finals.
"That's probably my favorite player of all time," he said. "I never got the chance to meet him, to answer your question. But yeah, not only me, but for kids all across the world, his influence has gone through the roof. His legacy will be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player that he was.
Hopefully I'm somewhere close to that level as a basketball player one day. But he was a special talent, special person, and God rest his soul.
" (H/t:
)
A recent viral video highlighted striking similarities between Bryant's signature moves and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's playing style, further fueling comparisons between the two.
Teammate Jalen Williams sees the Kobe Bryant parallels
forward Jalen Williams didn't hesitate to agree with the comparisons when asked about Gilgeous-Alexander's game.
"Yeah, there are a lot of similarities there," Williams said. "I feel like if you're really paying attention to basketball and watch the way he plays, it's a lot of similarities. It's cool that he can pick certain aspects of his game, kind of mimic that a little bit, and add his own touch to it. That shows the kind of player that he is, to be able to steal bits and pieces from his favorite players and be able to put it into a game and work on it.
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There's a lot of work behind the scenes that goes into him being able to do that."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP season mirrors Bryant's dominance
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP campaign was nothing short of spectacular. He averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. His leadership propelled the Oklahoma City Thunder to 64 regular-season wins and now has them competing for a title.
Also read:
The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to bounce back in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night at 8:30 PM EST on ABC.
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