Most NBA fans consider Michael Jordan the GOAT, and a significant factor in that is his unmatched desire to be the best and dominate. Kobe Bryant was the closest thing to him the league has ever seen, and he made the ‘Mamba Mentality’ his own.
The modern NBA is a bit different from what it used to be in Jordan’s and Kobe’s days, but some players still carry their spirit. Fans on Reddit recently discussed which current players have the same mentality as those two legends.
“Giannis, he doesn’t even want to work with non-teammates.”
“I can see it with Russ too. You don’t get that many triple-doubles without that mindset!”
“Curry even though he doesn’t show it.”
“Anthony Edwards. He seems like he’s got the right mix of everything to ascend.”
“Jimmy Buckets seems like the easy answer here.”
“Luka, Curry, LeBron, Butler.”
“Maybe not GOAT mindset but winning-wise, I think Draymond has that similar mamba mentality and I don’t hear many talk about it.”
“Curry is a 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er. Might not be as vocal about it as MJ or Kobe but he’s a cold man.”
“Jimmy Butler. I saw probably every game he played with Chicago and Philly and he seemed to be going hard as f**k at all times.”
“James Harden. By his last few years in Houston, he was arguably the best in the league and he broke a bunch of offensive records.”
“That’s basically the definition of Anthony Edwards. I’m surprised others haven’t mentioned him more.”
“I’ve liked DeMar DeRozan’s attitude towards the game from what I saw in interviews.”
A lot of these answers make a lot of sense, Stephen Curry has won four championships while leading the Golden State Warriors, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is also a champion who seemingly gets better every season. Jimmy Butler isn’t as decorated as the other two, but he has carried some seriously under-hyped Miami Heat teams to the NBA Finals.
Michael Jordan And Kobe Bryant’s Competitive Style Is Unmatched In The Current Era
While many of today’s superstars are truly great in their ways, it’s hard to compare them to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Michael Jordan was committed to winning to the point of even punching his teammates. That’s not to say that punching teammates is a sign of greatness, but no superstar today is that intense about being at 100% all the time.
Kobe Bryant is someone many of today’s stars aspire to be like. But his determination is what has inspired a lot of them. Even the older greats like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony learned serious work ethic from watching Kobe Bryant. While current stars are certainly incredible, it’s safe to say no one is quite on MJ’s or Kobe’s level just yet.
