Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander want to be better than Kobe Bryant? 'Of course'

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Following Shai Gilgeous-Alexander long enough, it doesn't take a genius to figure out his stance on Kobe Bryant. After all, one of his biggest viral moments was when he called him 'Michael Jordan on steroids.'

Growing up in Bryant's prime, Gilgeous-Alexander was one of his biggest fans. The Los Angeles Lakers won five NBA championships with him there. He only won one MVP award, but is considered to be one of the greatest players of his era. With his fanbase swearing he belongs in the same conversation as Jordan and LeBron James.

After the Oklahoma City Thunder captured their first NBA championship this past June, Gilgeous-Alexander is chasing Bryant's greatness. One ring down, more to go? We'll see. Winning the Larry O'Brien is extremely difficult and requires as much luck as talent.

But the Thunder are best set up to win a few more. Gilgeous-Alexander's superstar ascension into an MVP winner and walking 30 points is the biggest reason for that optimism. Now that he's 27 years old and no longer a teenager, does he think he can be written in the same sentences as his idol, Bryant? He hopes so.

Gilgeous-Alexander recently donned the GQ Magazine cover. That accolade is only reserved for NBA superstars. Fair to say he's part of that exclusive club. In a sit-down interview that covered a handful of topics, one was about where he thinks he'll land in the NBA history books.

“I pick up a basketball to be the best. If you’re asking me if I want to be better than Kobe, of course I do," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Whether I get there or not, we’ll find out.”

Mentioning Bryant over Jordan and James might cause some confusion. After all, most fans believe the latter two are in their own tier among NBA pantheons. That said, you have to remember this is Gilgeous-Alexander we're talking about. He views Bryant in the same light as them, if not brighter.

It's been one of the more unique superstar ascensions in NBA history. Gilgeous-Alexander skyrocketed out of nowhere these last three seasons from an interesting prospect into one of the all-time greats. Now, it's about continuing that dominance for the next handful of years.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander want to be better than Kobe Bryant?

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