Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might just be the best guard in the NBA today, and there are some similarities between his style of play and how Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant operated during his illustrious career.
However, one X user boldly claimed that Gilgeous-Alexander is the closest thing to Bryant that folks have seen, and Bryant’s former teammate Ron Harper put his foot down in response.
Stop with the b lol sh t!
— Ron Harper (@HARPER04_5) May 22, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander is on track for a Hall of Fame career, as he already has three All-Star nods, multiple All-NBA selections, one scoring title and an MVP award under his belt, and he hasn’t even seen his 27th birthday yet.
But he has yet to lead his teams to a fraction of the success that Bryant did during his stint with the Lakers that lasted two decades. Bryant helped the Lakers to five NBA titles and seven appearances in the championship series.
Conversely, Gilgeous-Alexander has yet to play in an NBA Finals since he was drafted in the opening round of the 2018 NBA Draft, but he may have a chance to put an end to that in the very near future.
The Thunder are one of four teams still kicking in the 2025 NBA Playoffs and have gotten off to a strong start to the Western Conference Finals versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Thunder have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and can go up 2-0 with another home win in Thursday’s Game 2. Gilgeous-Alexander put the Thunder on his back from an offensive standpoint in Game 1, as he racked up 31 points on 10-of-27 shooting from the field to go along with nine assists in a game they won by more than 20 points.
Anytime a player gets compared to Bryant, it’s likely to ruffle some feathers, but all Gilgeous-Alexander can focus on right now is the playoff run at hand. He and the Thunder are seven victories away from a championship.