SGA Talks Kobe Bryant's Influence On His Game, 'Probably My Favorite Player' Ever
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shed some light on Kobe Bryant's influence on his path to becoming an NBA MVP.
Ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on Bryant's legacy and said that he aspires to reach that level in his career.
"That's probably my favorite player of all time," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Never got the chance to meet him. Not only me, like, kids all across the world. His influence has gone through the roof, and his legacy will be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player that he was. Hopefully I'm somewhere close to that one day.
Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, five-time NBA champion and is enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He played 20 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers and was a notable star during Gilgeous-Alexander's childhood.
Bryant's legacy is one that is cemented in league history and it is an incredibly lofty goal for Gilgeous-Alexander to reach. However, the 26-year-old's 2024-25 season was certainly a step in the right direction.
He averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and five rebounds in 76 regular season games in 2024-25. He was named the league MVP for his play and helped lead the Thunder to a league-best 68-14 record.
That success has continued in the postseason as the Thunder have gone 13-5 ahead of Game 2. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 30.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds in the playoffs and will be a key contributor if the Thunder can claim their first title in franchise history.
Oklahoma City currently faces a 1-0 deficit to the Indiana Pacers but Gilgeous-Alexander will look to emulate some of Bryant's competitiveness to even the series in Sunday night's Game 2.
