Kobe Bryant was regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history during his playing days.
Now, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is one of the best players in the league. In one segment, media personality Bill Simmons lumped both of them with Kansas Jayhawks freshman Darryn Peterson.
Simmons made the claim while speaking on the Zach Lowe podcast recently.
"From all accounts, he's Kobe," Simmons said of Peterson. "Like the Kobe prototype. He does everything, plays both ends."
Bryant won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during his 20-year career. He is considered the second-best shooting guard in league history behind Michael Jordan. Bryant won his first three titles while playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal but solidified his legacy by winning back-to-back championships as the primary player in 2009 and 2010.
Simmons took it a step further with the Edwards comparison. He said Peterson could become better than Edwards and earn the final spot on the 2028 United States Olympic Team.
Edwards is already pegged as the next face of the NBA. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft. In 2024, he led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2004 when Kevin Garnett was their marquee player.
Last season Edwards even played a huge role in the Timberwolves knocking out LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Lakers in the first round. He has the `Wolves on the cusp of winning a title.
So Peterson should welcome the compliment.
"I think that's gonna be the guy because everyone says this guy has it," Simmons said of Peterson making the Olympic team. "This is the best two guard we have produced at least since Edwards and may be even better than Edwards. It just seems like the kind of guy they put on because four years from now they will want him to be one of the leaders of the team. So that's my last pick."
It's a bold claim but Peterson has the credentials to become the league's next superstar. Maybe Simmons is being a bit premature but also he could be ahead of the game. Peterson is among the most celebrated recruits in Jayhawks history, joining the likes of Paul Pierce, Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins. He could become the next in the long line of great KU players.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of JayhawksRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com