There is no greater star in the modern Lakers era than Kobe Bryant. Bryant is someone that Lakers fans hold in reverence for what he was able to do for the franchise.
Bryant was able to help lead the Lakers to five championships in the course of his career. Not only is he someone that Lakers fans absolutely love, but current NBA players idolized him as well.
In order for someone to approach his superstardom, a Lakers player has to be truly special. That comparison is not made very lightly.
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One former Lakers player thinks that Doncic has a chance to approach Bryant’s superstardom. Sasha Vujacic believes that Doncic reminds him a lot of Bryant, someone he played with.
Sasha Vujacic on Luka Doncic:
“He reminds me of Kobe.” 👀
(via @OutTheMudTL, h/t @LakersLead)pic.twitter.com/ndODTFL4ON
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 11, 2025
“I watched him play, and he might be the only one that reminds me, a little bit more than anyone else, of Kobe. The reason being he plays with a smile. He understands the geometry of the basketball court very well. He’s talented. But there’s something in his eyes, that when he plays the game of basketball, it’s just that killer thing that he has.
Vujacic believes that Doncic has the same killer instinct that Bryant did when he played. That’s an incredible compliment, since that’s what made Bryaant special compared to his peers.
Bryant wanted to dominate every player who stepped on the court opposite of him. He wanted to absolutely crush everyone that he saw, and that’s what Doncic tries to do as well.
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Doncic understands how much of a compliment that is. He wants to be the best player in the league, and that’s something that Bryant was able to achieve when he was playing.
Of course, Doncic still has a ways to go in matching the accomplishments of Bryant. Doncic has only made one NBA Finals appearance, so he doesn’t have any wins yet.
How many championships Doncic is able to lead the team to will determine his legacy with the Lakers. He understands that’s how things are measured in Los Angeles.
Since being traded to the Lakers, Doncic is averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.
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