Devin Booker, following a win over the Indiana Pacers, claimed that he was not appreciative of the constant Kobe Bryant comparisons
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Kobe Bryant and Devin Booker had a special relationship with one another. D-Book entered the league during the Lakers legend’s final season in the NBA and the comparisons between the two began almost immediately.
Sure, both are 6’6 shooting guards who tend to operate in the mid-post and the mid-range but this comparison became detrimental for Booker quite rapidly. Any time Devin Booker had a game that wasn’t up to the mark, NBA fans compared him to Kobe, claiming Booker was not like him despite D-Book never once claiming he was.
The comparisons weren’t mainstream until the Phoenix Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals, where he, more or less, had a stellar Playoffs for his first time being there.
Booker actually had a monumentally greater Finals series for his first time when compared to Kobe’s 2000 Finals against the Pacers. Book averaged 28.2 points on 45.5% shooting while the ‘Black Mamba’ had 15.6 points on 36% from the field.
Devin Booker has had it with the Kobe Bryant comparisons.
Following the Suns’ win over the Pacers last night, Devin Booker was asked about recent ‘feud’ with the Raptors mascot. This question eventually delved into NBA fans online and their perception of him, to which Book said:
“The only problem I have is people still comparing me to Kobe Bryant. I told them in the Playoffs, stop bringing up Mamba Mentality. I’m inspired by Kobe Bryant and Mamba Mentality, but I am not Kobe Bryant. People are yelling Mamba mentality from their mama’s house. I’ll leave you with that.”
I asked Devin Booker about the hate he got online for the fun with The Raptor.
Only problem he has with the online discourse is being compared to Kobe Bryant or hearing Mamba Mentality attached to him.
“I’m inspired by Kobe Bryant and Mamba Mentality but I am not Kobe Bryant.” pic.twitter.com/cigcypZSCq
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) January 15, 2022
Suffice to say that Devin Booker isn’t with any of the comparisons between himself and Kobe Bryant. Quite the mature answer from the Suns youngster.