Philadelphia 76ers forward Georges Niang compared center Joel Embiid to Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
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Embiid is having yet another MVP-caliber season in the 2021-22 campaign, and he’s led the Sixers to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia will play the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.
Bryant, who tragically passed away in January of 2020, was one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Not only that, but he was also a five-time NBA champion during his storied career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Niang’s comparison is huge praise towards Embiid, and the Sixers center certainly has shown he can take his game to an extremely high level.
This season, Embiid is averaging 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.
He is not only a dominant post scorer, but Embiid has shown an ability to score from the 3-point line as well as the midrange. His versatility at the center position is one of the things that makes him such a dominant player.
Any time a player is mentioned in the same conversation as Bryant, it’s a great honor.
During his playing career, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc. He will forever be one of the most important figures in Lakers history, as he led the team to tremendous success during his career.
Embiid has a long way to go before he catches Bryant’s title count or accolades, but Niang clearly sees the potential in his teammate to be one of the greatest players ever.
