Kobe Bryant once compared a rookie Andrew Wiggins to a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant. The late great Los Angeles Lakers legend admitted that Wiggins guarding him reminded him of the time he used to guard Michael Jordan as a rookie in the league. Wiggins received such high praise after guarding the Mamba in a 2014 matchup between the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Andrew Wiggins made headlines after entering the league as the number one overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. However, the 6’7″ small forward would fail to meet the high expectations that usually follow a number one draft pick. Despite winning the Rookie of the Year in 2015, he would be dubbed by many as an underperformer.

However, the 27-year-old would redeem himself as a legitimate star after joining the Golden State Warriors in 2020. Wiggins would surprise the entire NBA community after confirming his spot as an All-Star starter in 2022. However, topping every achievement he has had thus far, he would become an NBA champion after beating the Boston Celtics in a six-game series in the NBA Finals.

Kobe Bryant sees Wiggins as a younger version of himself

Kobe Bryant saw a teenage version of himself in Andrew Wiggins after the rookie guarded him in the 2014 matchup between the Lakers and the Timberwolves. Bryant dropped 26 points in the game. But restricting Kobe to anything below 30 is arguably a respectable achievement from a defender’s perspective.

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Nevertheless, Wiggins guarding him reminded Kobe of the time he used to guard Michael Jordan. ?Yeah, it was a strange feeling, because I remember being Andrew Wiggins,? said?Bryant.

?I remember playing against Michael my first year. To be here tonight and to play against him, seeing the baby face and the little footwork or little technique things that he?s going to be much sharper at as time goes on — it was like looking at a reflection of myself 19 years ago. It was pretty cool“, he added.

After dropping a 26-point double-double in a pivotal Game 5 victory in the NBA Finals, Wiggins has certainly proven himself to be worthy of Kobe’s praise.

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

MJ and Kobe were not only great players but also great competitors. They persistently pushed each other to the limit to bring out the best in each other.

They understood each other better than most players. Their hunger to reach the pinnacle of greatness fueled their game. Having a similar mindset, the trash-talking between the two was also legendary.

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Do you think Wiggins can live up to Kobe’s high praise in the future? Comment below.