Throughout the course of his career, Kobe Bryant drew countless comparisons to Michael Jordan, granted that the Los Angeles Lakers icon had mimicked his game to No. 23.
Kobe became a legend of this game for his competitive prowess and his determination to one-up every single rival and teammate he shared the court with.
But more than that, Kobe’s assassin mentality as a scorer made him one of the most dominant offensive forces in NBA history. That’s why Stephen A. Smith believes Devin Booker is the most similar player to him in today’s game, as opposed to Jimmy Butler, as Andre Iguodala had said.
Stephen A. Smith Says Devin Booker Is The Closest Thing To Kobe Bryant
“Jimmy Butler works, but the difference between Jimmy Butler and Devin Booker is Jimmy Butler doesn’t care that much about offense until the postseason arrives,” Smith said on Club Shay Shay. “Kobe cared about it all the time, and Devin Booker cares about it all the time.”
“They’re coming out looking for their shot from opening tip off. Jimmy Butler, sometimes you feel like you literally got to throw something at him just to make him shoot the basketball. It’s not a priority for him,” he added.
Of course, Butler is a better comparison on the defensive end of the floor and in terms of his competitive mentality, but there’s a lot of Kobe in Booker’s offensive game, and he admittedly grew up trying to replicate his moves.