“The footwork and tough shots DeMar DeRozan takes reminds me of Kobe Bryant”: Joel Embiid lauds the Bulls star while drawing comparisons to the Lakers legend

After the Bulls-Sixers clash, Joel Embiid compliments DeMar DeRozan and draws some huge comparisons to Kobe Bryant.

On Sunday night, the Chicago Bulls hosted the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center. An action-packed thriller of a contest between the two high seeded Eastern Conference teams, witnessed DeMar DeRozan and Joel Embiid going off for 40-bombs apiece.

Playing without the likes of Zach LaVine, Deebo was absolutely unguardable, dropping 45 points on a 60% shooting from the field. However, it was an impressive 40-point, 10-rebound double-double by JoJo that eclipsed DeMar’s performance, to help Philly grab a huge 119-108 win.

Joel Embiid & DeMar DeRozan battled for all 4 quarters as they both dropped 40+ points in the @sixers win!@DeMar_DeRozan: 45 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST@JoelEmbiid: 40 PTS, 10 REB, 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/tUf1g0s6JD

— NBA (@NBA) February 7, 2022

Also Read: A mind-boggling stat comes up as Sixers MVP puts up a 40-point double-double performance

The two have shown appreciation for each other’s games throughout the course of their career. And after yesterday night’s clash too, JoJo gave DeRozan the flowers he deserves.

“I always thought DeMar DeRozan was underrated”: Joel Embiid

After the bout, the Cameroonian big man paid his respected to the mid-range maestro. Besides calling him “underrated”, the 7-footer compared a few aspects of the Bulls All-Star’s game to that of the legend Kobe Bryant. Joel further said:

“Really good player. I always thought he was underrated, the way he plays, the way you talk about what he is able to do on the floor. You know, footwork kind of reminds me of Kobe. Just the footwork and the tough shots that he takes… He’s definitely underrated, I’ve always been a fan.”

 

Joel Embiid on DeMar DeRozan: “I always thought he was underrated… Footwork kind of reminds me of Kobe.”

And then I asked him about a nerdy topic, when he decides to pop vs. roll on pick-and-rolls. Thought he gave a pretty good answer. pic.twitter.com/tR6YTqhRBg

— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) February 7, 2022

Joel isn’t wrong. DeMar has a ver Kobe-esque game, in terms of his jumper, footwork, and the ability to knock down most of their shots from the mid-range.

Also Read: DeMar DeRozan lists his demands ahead of the NBA trade deadline after 76ers vs Bulls

Both these MVP candidates have been doing a great job in leading their teams, so far. In all probability, a Bulls-76ers rematch in the postseason is very much on the cards.