Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking to win his first NBA Championship and like a lot of other athletes, he is using Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant as inspiration.

Gilgeous-Alexander never got the chance to meet or play against Bryant, but his MVP season has led to comparisons to the five-time champion that wore the purple and gold for 20 seasons.

The Thunder’s NBA Finals series against the Indiana Pacers did not get off to a great start as despite 38 points from Gilgeous-Alexander, they could not hold onto a 15-point lead and lost at the buzzer.

As Gilgeous-Alexander looks to get his team back on track, he discussed his admiration for Bryant and the impact he’s had on his career, via ClutchPoints:

“That’s probably my favorite player of all time. I never got the chance to meet him… but not only me, for 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 as a basketball player one day. But he was a special talent, special person, and God rest his soul.”

Bryant’s most dominant team with the Lakers in 2000-01 was comparable to this Thunder team. After breezing their way through the West, Kobe and the Lakers were shocked in Game 1 of the NBA Finals by Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.

They didn’t let that affect them though and went on to win four straight to cap off a historic 15-1 playoff run. Gilgeous-Alexander will now look to do the same for Oklahoma City, although they face a tough task as Tyrese Haliburton has also channeled Kobe this postseason with his clutch shooting and late-game heroics.

It’s been a special season for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he led the Thunder to 68 wins in the regular season, winning the scoring title and MVP in the process. He has the chance to become the first player since Shaquille O’Neal to win a scoring title, MVP and championship in the same season, although he and the Thunder need to close out their series against the Pacers to finish the job.

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