The way Kobe Bryant managed to influence a generation of people both in and out of basketball was simply unique, whether it was due to his work ethics, results on the court, or even for his authentic personality. All this legacy that we know is still vividly alive among athletes like Sabrina Ionescu, Kyrie Irving, Jason Tatum and one that much resembles Kobe’s style of play, Devin Booker.
No wonder the young, 24-year-old star has been nicknamed “Baby Mamba”, both athletes have a huge connection and some curious similarities:
- Their father were both NBA players;
- Kobe joined the league the same year Booker was born, 1996;
-They were both the 13th pick of the draft;
- They played in the same position;
- They have same height;
- They are the youngest guards in history to reach the 7,000-point record.
The two faced off each other in just one game in March 2016 during Booker's first season and Kobe's last season, during that game the freshman scored 28 points, came out with the victory, and what was even more remarkable, performing moves similar to his idol when in court against Kobe. During the press conference, Kobe, greatly admired by the young athlete’s game, and commented: "I was playing against Booker and he went straight into my move the first time he caught it. You're not going to beat me on my move man… I mean, it was great to see, absolutely great to see because I remember I did the same thing with MJ”.
After the game, a memorable moment that marked Devin Booker's career until today, a meeting in the locker room that lasted approximately ten minutes, the player says that the conversation came down to Kobe's advice to keep working and never settle with less when playing for the league. In addition, the idol signed a pair of Kobe 11’s shoes with the following message: "To the young gun!" and on the other pair: “To Book. Be Legendary", a phrase he still writes on his sneakers every game, and which is tattooed on his arm and keeps on motivating Book every day.
Exactly 1 year and 1 day later, at just 20 years of age, the player hit the 70 point mark in a single game, breaking Kobe's record by becoming the youngest NBA player to set that record. And the idol, once again, commented on it: “Booker's mentality is rare, yet important…. a mentality that's very important for the next generation of players to understand, do not limit yourself.”
Booker followed his mentor's advice and improved his personal stats each season, even becoming an all-star NBA athlete. This year, he got his first NBA playoff spot by ranking the Phoenix Suns 2nd in the Western Conference, and his first opponent was Kobe Bryant's former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Phoenix Suns have just won the series by 4-2 and Booker was key to the team's success, averaging almost 30 points per game, 5 assists and 49 points in the last game. The young star is clearly following in Kobe's footsteps and has started her first playoff appearance on the right foot, giving his best on court for this year's championship battle.
Sadly, Kobe isn't here to watch the rise of potentially one of the best players in the league’s history, but he would certainly be very proud of all of Devin Booker's advice and success.
