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Michael Jordan is probably the first name that most people would mention when talking about the National Basketball Association. Still, one Hall of Famer has been compared to Michael Jordan and a certain Los Angeles Lakers hero.
Dominique Wilkins, who has been named an All-Star nine times, has rather interesting views on who in the current sport best copies Michael Jordan’s moves. In a recent episode of "All The Smoke," Wilkins identified Kobe Bryant as the player who was more like Michael Jordan to him than the other.
“I have great admiration for Kobe,” said Wilkins. Wilkins then added, “I’m a big admirer of Kobe. He’s an old-school player with a modern-day twist. Then I remember after his final game in Atlanta, I returned to the locker room.
I said to him, ‘Listen, I liked your game so much. You never used to complain about anything, and you played even when injured. You are the last of us. When you move, the last of us moves too.’ And he said, ‘That means a lot to you because many other legends told me that.’ I replied, ‘It is so because you have come with a sprained heel, something no one would have done.
The Player that was closest to the Jordan level.’”
Bryant Legendary Mentality
Bryant was a one and only player for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years, winning five titles and earning a place in his organization's history.
Like his character off the floor, Bryant worked hard, was focused on winning only, and made sure everyone, including themselves, was at the very edge, which was again quite similar to the mentality of the very competitive Jordan.
Bryant's accolades over the span of his productive life included 18 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA Team selections, and 12 All-Defensive Team selections. Due to his fearless approach to imaging the game and willingness to endure pain, several fans compared him to Jordan.
Bryant's and Jordan's physical and psychological toughness is subjective, as is their ability to stand immense pressure. As an example, Michael Jordan had the flu during the 1997 NBA finals Game 5 but still scored 38 points and helped the Chicago Bulls win.
The same thing happened with Bryant, who popped his finger out of joint during the 2016 game but went back to the court once it was put back in place.
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