As arguably the one player that has come closest to Jordan’s accomplishments and is virtually identical on the basketball floor in terms of style of play, Kobe will forever be linked to the Chicago Bulls legend regardless of whether or not he can win six or more titles before calling it a career in the next few years.
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One player that has experience playing alongside Jordan and spent three years with the Lakers in the early ‘90s is sharpshooting forward Sam Perkins. Although Perkins wasn’t in purple and gold for very long, the 18-year veteran enjoyed his time in Los Angeles.
Perkins was recently interviewed on H2G Radio and asked about the comparison between Kobe and Michael and who he believes is better:
“The only comparison I have between those two is, they hate to lose. I think Michael didn’t have to go out and shoot as early as a Kobe, or like some of these other guys. He was still in sync because he was just that confident in his game- Kobe as well- and that’s the comparison. But when you’re in the barber shop or talking on the radio about who’s better- I have to give it to Michael. I’m a big fan of Kobe but I have to give it to Michael because he took over games. He never scored 80 points in one game but he damn near came close a couple of times.”
There’s no question that Perkins is right on the money with his comparison in terms of hating to lose and competitive drive. Bryant and Jordan are almost mirror images of each other when it comes to a lust for winning. A perfect example is the video evidence of a shot-by-shot comparison between the two found by our own Daniel Buerge.
After watching the video, it’s hard to argue that Kobe didn’t model his game after Jordan and do a great job of it after winning five NBA titles and still playing at a high level at 34 years-old.
It remains to be seen if Kobe can continue to dominate the competition in the twilight of his career, but the addition of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to the Lakers roster along with long-time teammate Pau Gasol will definitely help in the final years of his career.
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In case you missed it: Kobe talks A-Rod, growing up in a family of “a-holes.”
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