Many NBA players — past and present — believe Michael Jordan is the greatest player to have ever played in the league.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr falls into that category, and he knows Jordan well, given that they were former teammates, and won five titles together with the Bulls.
And while Kerr seems to be set on Jordan being the GOAT, he did have some high praise for Kobe Bryant, and believes that the Lakers legend is “the closest thing” to MJ. Here’s what he had to say to reporters about it on Monday:
“Kobe is the closest thing to Michael (Jordan),” Kerr said, via a video posted by Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Everybody’s been compared to Michael. LeBron’s been compared to Michael — I don’t think LeBron is Michael at all. I think he’s a very different player, a very different mentality and mindset. Kobe has the same mentality and mindset that MJ had. The assassin, the ‘I’m gonna rip your throat out with my scoring,’ low-post dominant fadeaway jumper, footwork.
“I thought Kobe’s footwork was one of the best parts of his game — probably the most underrated because everybody focused on his shooting and his athleticism, but his footwork got him open. That’s where he was so similar to Michael. He could just get any shot he wanted.”
Steve Kerr on the similarities between Kobe and MJ pic.twitter.com/ld4JiEkVaB
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 18, 2017
It’s interesting that Kerr referenced killer instinct — a trait that both Jordan and Bryant seemed to possess, which is part of what made them so great in clutch moments.
Kerr also appears to be correct about Jordan and LeBron James being different players. James has disappeared a few times in big games over the years, while both Bryant and Jordan had no problem attempting as many shots as possible. Win or lose — they kept shooting the ball, until the final whistle sounded.
It will be interesting to see how Kerr reacts when his Warriors square off against the Lakers on Monday, with Bryant in attendance at Staples Center to have both No. 8 and No. 24 retired at halftime. Kerr announced his team will skip its normal halftime routine to watch Bryant’s retirement ceremony, which is something not many other coaches would do.
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