Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson believes that the late Kobe Bryant is the closest thing we have seen to Michael Jordan.
Johnson recently appeared on ESPN’s First Take and explained the reasoning behind his statement.
“Let’s go to on the court first. Kobe admired, respected Michael Jordan in a special way that he patterned his game after Michael. Kobe is the closest thing to Michael that we’ve seen. Why? Because he can score that basketball just like Michael Jordan.
He had the same mindset and attitude just like Michael Jordan, he took no prisoners, he wanted to just put his foot on your neck and wanted to destroy you, mentally and physically, just like Michael Jordan and he wanted to have six championships, like Michael Jordan. He got close, he got five, but he never got that sixth championship.
Off the court, he wanted to build his business just like Michael Jordan, and you know what? He was getting there, too. Kobe was doing an outstanding job as a businessman, and he was taking the run that Jordan took off the court.
He was building his own brand at the same time and I believe that’s why Kobe and Michael really enjoyed each other because they went to places very few athletes go, where they were world-famous, where they were able to build a successful brand and company.
They were able to win championships and then they were able to do something special on the basketball court that we haven’t seen no other players do. They had the same mindset and so that’s why they got along off the court,” Johnson said, via Orlando Silva of Fadeaway World.
