Sasha Vujacic knows how intense Kobe Bryant was on the court.
He believes that the newest Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade in February for All-Star forward Anthony Davis, is the one to carry on Bryant’s legacy.
During his seven-year stint with the Lakers, Vujacic saw Bryant go through every low imaginable and continue to pick himself up time after time, with greater motivation than before. Vujacic channeled Bryant’s mentality in the biggest moment of his career, when he went to the line in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
He nailed both shots without flinching, sealing the championship for himself, Bryant, and the entirety of Los Angeles.
On the “Out of the Mud” podcast, Vujacic spoke about the similarities between the two scoring dynamos.
“[Doncic] might be the only one who reminds me a little bit of more than anybody else of Kobe,” he said. “The reason [is] he plays with a smile. He understands the geometry of the basketball court very well, but there’s something in his eyes when he plays the game of basketball that is just that killer.”
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Vujacic went on to describe that the pair of stars have a similar sense of “smelling blood” when a team can get taken over by their offensive gifts. The former Laker guard lauded Doncic’s special ability and how, at such a young age, he’s already one of the game’s brightest stars.
Doncic is a public fan and admirer of Bryant’s game, citing the legend’s time with the Lakers as one of the reasons he was excited to join the franchise following last season’s shock transfer from Dallas.
If the Slovenian superstar wants to truly carry on Bryant’s legacy in Los Angeles, Vujacic and any former Laker know there is only one way to do so: win a ring.