We all have heard the GOAT debate revolving around Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. In ’03, SI called King James ‘The Chosen One’ to signify who he was chasing the greatness like. But some players who played against these icons have made it clear that Kobe was a copy of MJ. Similarly, Phil Jackson, who coached both MJ and Kobe, shared the same. So let’s hear from a player too who played an integral part in both franchises.

“Well, rest in peace to my boy Kobe man. He probably as closer as anyone else to ever gonna be competing with MJ. He was a very complete competitor. He patterned his game, walk and talk like MJ, and be like MJ. And them two became special close at the end of my career,” Ron Harper said on Stacey King’s Gimme The Hot Sauce podcast.

Harper joined the Bulls in 1994 and was an instrumental part of their second three-peat and ended his career alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, with the Purple and Gold.

“When you watch MJ, you see him (Kobe). It’s like the same thing.” The 5x NBA champion also pointed out the weight difference as a distinguished factor. Yet Kobe Bryant “had all of that” as per Harper. And the Mamba Mentality too was similar to Michael Jordan’s style of play. “Will compete until the end of the day and in love to play every day all day like MJ,” Harper further added on the podcast.

Even the head coach of Harper, Kobe, and Jordan wrote something similar in his book. In ‘From Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson’, the Zen Master wrote, “MJ just told me Kobe’s the only one to have done the work to deserve comparison.” Even the fierce competitor, Michael Jordan himself, once thought that the Lakers legend would beat him in an interesting battle.

The 6x Champion chose Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade as his opponents for a hypothetical 1v1 battle. Not just that, but he was pretty confident about not losing but had one fear against the Black Mamba. “I don’t think I’d lose, other than Kobe Bryant, because he steals all my moves.”

Similar views on why Kobe Bryant is a copy of Michael Jordan

“Kobe Bryant was the face of the league. And he was the avatar of Michael Jordan.” On the Knuckleheads Podcast, Adrian Kirilenko made the comparison in late September this year. The Russian-born former NBA star made his debut when Michael Jordan was playing with the Wizards. Even Magic Johnson earlier this year reiterated the same point.

“Probably the closest dude to Michael Jordan, right? Because Michael is the greatest that’s ever played. But Kobe, in terms of how he was able to… his mannerisms like Michael, the way he approached the game like Michael,” Magic while speaking to Jennifer Hudson, also applauded the Lakers #24 for their contribution to women’s sports.

Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan developed a relationship like brothers. “I don’t get five championships here without him because he guided me so much and gave so much great advice.” In one of the episodes of The Last Dance, the Lakers credited MJ as a “big brother” and praised him for his guidance throughout his career.