Michael Jordan is widely considered the GOAT of basketball by many fans and experts. After Jordan’s retirement, many fans hoped to see a new Jordan in the league, but no one was able to fill his shoes. Kobe Bryant had a somewhat similar playing style to Jordan, leading many fans to call him the reincarnation of Jordan or Jordan 2.0.
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas recently appeared on the podcast “Vlad TV.” On the show, he discussed fans calling Kobe Bryant a carbon copy of Michael Jordan. Arenas refuted this, stating that Bryant was not a replica of Jordan. He pointed out that Jordan was one of the best players from the moment he entered the league and had also been a star in college, whereas Bryant took time to develop his game after joining the league.
I’m a Kobe fanatic, but he’s not a carbon copy of Michael Jordan. I don’t like when people say Kobe was a carbon copy of Michael. Let’s go back to the basics. Kobe never looked like the ’80s Jordan. He didn’t move like him. He didn’t have the speed or athleticism of Michael Jordan in the ’80s or ’90s. Michael was athletic even in high school, right?
Gilbert Arenas via Vlad TV
Arenas highlighted that Bryant never had the explosiveness of Jordan or a 48-inch vertical like Jordan. Despite being a Bryant enthusiast, Arenas stated that the closest Bryant came to resembling Jordan was in his later stint with the Lakers. He felt that the 24 jersey Bryant resembled Jordan from his second three-peat with the Chicago Bulls.
In the end, Arenas showed his respect for Bryant but stated that no one can replicate Jordan. While Bryant and Jordan both played the same position and had similar scoring styles, they had different impacts on the game. Both stars possessed unique skills and qualities.
Kobe Bryant a better comparison to Michael Jordan than LeBron James says WWE star
The NBA world has been long divided on the debate of who is the GOAT: Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Both James and Jordan have displayed immense dominance and possess great basketball skills, making the decision even tougher for fans.
WWE superstar CM Punk appeared on the show “First Take” where he shared his opinion on the James vs. Jordan GOAT debate. Punk stated that James might not be a great comparison to Jordan, suggesting that Bryant was more similar to Jordan than LeBron is.
I would say Kobe is a closer comparison to Michael Jordan than LeBron, but you know people have their opinions.
CM Punk said
Punk stated that LeBron James is not as similar to Jordan as Bryant is. It is worth noting that Jordan won his six championships with the Chicago Bulls, and since Punk is from Chicago, this may have contributed to his strong affinity for Jordan.
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