Everything makes sense

fuckyeanba:

Via Ball Don’t Lie: 

“Of course, if the notoriously petty Jordan was going to mention anyone, it makes [sic, “sense”] that he’d single out Kobe, and not just because he’d consider the mimicry flattering. Bryant really does work harder than everyone else, and he’s been good for long enough (with no signs of slowing down) that he may eventually top Jordan’s longevity. They’re similarly insane competitors.

The “Next Jordan” idea was always a silly one, but Bryant is certainly the player most like Jordan in all aspects of his game — even if he eventually becomes something less than the greatest player of the post-MJ era, which I’m sure many of you will argue in the comments. That’s an accomplishment in itself. Even coming close to the top means something.”

Bryant certainly works as hard as Jordan, but it was Kobe’s cringe-worthy overt attempts to mimic him that will always make him second best in reference to his idol. If he had learned to be his own man maybe he’d be in contention for passing Jordan as GOAT, but even that’s a stretch.

Regardless of how many 40 point games Kobe ends up with this season, and you really should read Jay Caspian Kang’s piece on Kobe Bryant and his shot attempts this year, his constant striving to be the “next Jordan” is the reason he can’t ever be the next Jordan. And like Freemen wrote, it’s silly to even look for the next GOAT. There’s only one. I doubt I’ll encounter a player in my lifetime that makes me change that belief.