1. Russell Westbrook – Oklahoma City Thunder
In terms of being the closest thing to Kobe Bryant in the NBA as the Black Mamba leaves the league, I don’t anyone comes remotely as close as Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook. From his success to his ability and skill to his mentality and how he approaches the game of basketball, Russ is by far the closest thing to Bean that will be left in the league after Bryant retires.
Obviously there’s the ability of Westbrook that is reminiscent of a young Kobe. Obviously the injuries, age, and wear have left Bryant a shell of the athlete he once was, but Kobe once attacked the rim and the lane with the same ferocity that Russ currently does. It’s something that isn’t an inherited trait but is something innate within a basketball player and something that’s rarely seen throughout the league. That Westbrook has it in the same vein as Kobe is obviously going to draw comparisons.
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Similarly, though, Westbrook has that same killer-instinct that made Kobe Bryant such a vicious competitor throughout his entire career. Players who possess the ability to just coldly stare at the opposition and simultaneously strike fear while remaining unafraid entirely aren’t something that come around all that often. In fact, it rarely comes around and is one of many reasons why Kobe is such a singular and special talent in the history of the league—and Russell Westbrook could follow in his footsteps in that regard.