Michael Jordan Teammate Pushes Back on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Placing Kobe Bryant Above MJ

Michael Jordan's former teammate Ron Harper did not hold back his feelings regarding the Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on X.

Michael Jordan Teammate Pushes Back on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Placing Kobe Bryant Above MJ

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan (Image by FirstSportz)

Over the years, the NBA has witnessed several significant players, such as Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan. For many young basketball fans growing up, Kobe Bryant continues to be iconic, just like them. Bryant’s effect is demonstrated by the fact that players from the current era grew up watching his highlights with the Los Angeles Lakers.

That will probably go on for a while because Bryant’s reputation as a repeat winner is safe. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a star player for the Oklahoma City Thunder, is one of those players who thinks Bryant’s style is great. So much so that SGA went over the top in a recent viral TikTok video where he called Bryant, “Michael Jordan on steroids.” He did not stop there. SGA added the Black Mamba is is #1 player of all time.

These statements surely caused havoc in and around the NBA community. In particular, they did not sit well with one of Jordan’s former teammates, Ron Harper. He took to his X account to shed some light on SGA’s words about Jordan and Bryant.

He never played against MJ for sure a I played with both of them….

Ron Harper replied to a post on X

These comments were indirectly directed towards SGA over his remarks about the Chicago Bulls legend. However, Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the NBA’s top players since 2018. He was a bright guard at the start of his career who had a propensity for scoring in the paint. Gilgeous-Alexander has improved and is now a formidable isolation scorer who is comparable to Bryant.

The Thunder’s star man will probably need to duplicate his 38-point performance from Game 1 for his side to get a little closer to a championship going into a crucial Game 2. The Pacers have shown themselves to be a worthy opponent. They won’t be as easy as many had thought before the NBA Finals began.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opened up on his favourite player, Kobe Bryant

The Thunder star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, recently won the 2025 NBA MVP award for his consistent performances throughout the season. SGA, like many players in recent years, holds the late Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in high regard. Bryant is arguably his favorite player of all time, he told the media, and he aspires to be as good as Bryant.

That’s probably my favorite player of all time,I never got the chance to meet him… but not only me, for kids all across the world, his influence has gone through the roof and his legacy will be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player that he was. Hopefully I’m somewhere close to that as a basketball player one day. But he was a special talent, special person, and God rest his soul.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said

Bryant, who is regarded as possibly the best closer in NBA history, created many unforgettable moments during crucial situations, particularly during important games. Gilgeous-Alexander will need to produce a couple of standout performances if Oklahoma City is to win its first league title since 1979.

Jalen Williams makes an interesting comparison between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the late Kobe Bryant

SGA wants to reach the heights the late Los Angeles Lakers legend reached as Game 2 draws near. In addition, his teammate, Jalen Williams, made an interesting case about the two personalities. He claimed that Gilgeous-Alexander’s and Bryant’s games are similar.

There are a lot of similarities there… If you are really paying attention to basketball & watch the way he plays… He can pick certain aspects of his game… [And] add his own touch to it.

Jalen Williams said

The mid-range game is the area where the two are most similar. Throughout his 20 seasons in the NBA, Bryant made a fortune by attacking off the dribble, pulling up from the mid-range area, and nailing jumpers—skills that Gilgeous-Alexander appears to have perfected. It will be interesting to watch if he can emulate that in the upcoming Game on Sunday.

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