Kobe Bryant on Andrew Wiggins: ‘A Reflection of Myself 19 Years Ago’

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins was a one-year old baby when Kobe Bryant began his NBA career in 1996.

Sunday night, Wiggins faced Bryant as he made history, climbing to third on the L’s all-time scoring list and past Michael Jordan.

Kobe sees a bit of his younger self when he competes against Wiggins, and predicts a bright future for the top overall draft pick.

Per the AP:

Once it was finally over, the weight lifted and Bryant found another gear against a young Timberwolves team that includes 19-year-olds Andrew Wiggins — the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft — and Zach LaVine, who wears No. 8 in honor of Bryant.

 

He finished the night with 26 points, including a dagger of a 3-pointer over Wiggins’ outstretched hand with just over a minute to play that helped seal the win. […] “I witnessed greatness tonight,” a star-struck Wiggins said. “A living legend passed Michael Jordan, who everyone thinks is the best player of all-time. That’s a big accomplishment. I’m glad I was there to witness it.”

 

“It was a strange feeling,” Bryant said. “I remember being Andrew Wiggins. I remember playing against Michael my first year. To be here tonight and playing against him and seeing the baby face and the little footwork and little technique things that he’s going to be much, much sharper at as time goes on. It was like looking at a reflection of myself 19 years ago. It was pretty cool.”