The big story in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 100-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday was Kobe Bryant passing Michael Jordan for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. However, this was also the second matchup between one of the NBA’s oldest stars and one of its youngest.
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Andrew Wiggins was the top pick in this year’s draft and has all the tools to be a future star in this league. Kobe talked about Wiggins after the game, saying the rookie reminded him of himself when he was younger according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe: "I remember being Andrew Wiggins…It's like looking at a reflection of myself 19 years ago."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 15, 2014
For his part, Wiggins was extremely respectful for Kobe as well, and spoke about witnessing greatness according to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding:
Andrew Wiggins: "I witnessed greatness. A living legend passing Michael Jordan, who everyone thinks is the best of all time."
— KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) December 15, 2014
Bryant was once the young phenom finding his footing in the NBA, and now Wiggins occupies that spot as the Timberwolves hope he will be the player to carry them in the future. Wiggins played a solid game against the Lakers as he scored 16 points along with two rebounds.
Wiggins looks the part of a great NBA player so far as he leads all rookies in scoring average, and also ranks in the top-10 in rebounds and steals amongst all rookies.
Bryant was seen talking with Wiggins after the game, and many players have spoken about Kobe being a mentor to them. Wiggins could surely learn a lot from Kobe, and if Kobe is correct that Wiggins will be something like himself, he has a great career ahead of him.
[divide]Lakers Practice: Kobe Bryant’s Trash-Talking & Intensity