No. 8 in Your Program, No. 23 in Your Heart?

As Michael Wilbon wrote for Thursday’s Washington Post:

We can, at long last, stop looking for the next Michael Jordan. We’ve found him. He can fly like Mike, shoot the fadeaway like Mike, post up like Mike, hypnotize us like Mike, confound opponents like Mike and pitch products like Mike. “He even sounds like Michael in his interviews, doesn’t he?” said former Mike teammate Steve Kerr.

Of course, we’re talking about Kobe Bryant. What three months ago might have seemed blasphemous is now openly discussed. Nobody would question your sanity, not after that 48-point ditty against the Sacramento Kings a couple weeks ago or that 45-point masterpiece as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Even Jordan’s former teammates, those most likely to knock down such a comparison, have come to accept the notion.

“I just told the fellas that Number 23 had a great game,” said Laker forward Horace Grant, a former Chicago Bull, after Bryant’s 45-point torching of the Spurs. “Was it Freudian? Nope, I knew what I was saying.”

For years, when anybody tried to compare one of the NBA’s young stars to Jordan, his former coach, Phil Jackson, seemed to take it personally. Jackson’s face would curl into something sour, he would tug at his chin and say, “You’re kidding, right?” The other day, somebody put the question to Jackson, now Kobe’s coach and the man who appreciates Jordan’s greatness more than anybody anywhere. “You know, Kobe does have a sense about the game that’s similar to Michael’s,” Jackson said. “And I think he has that will, even though he has a guy on his team--Shaq--who is the dominator, which was the luxury Michael never had. Kobe likes to rise to occasions, to big-time situations like Michael did.”

If you think Jordan takes exception to this, you are wrong. In a conversation about Bryant this week, Jordan said, “I don’t take it negatively.” Asked if he sees the similarities, Jordan said: “Oh, yeah. I’m looking at his post-up game and the way when his jump shot isn’t falling he goes to the hole, or does what he needs to do to get himself to the foul line. You know what I’ve noticed, the difference between this year and last year? He’s not chasing the game as much. With that much talent, you don’t need to chase it.”

What’s nearly as amazing as Bryant’s ascension is that only 3 1/2 months ago his selfishness hurt his team. Everybody around the Lakers knew it, including Jackson. Even NBA insiders thought Bryant could be traded.

So what happened and how did it happen so quickly?

“Compromise,” Jordan says. “And maturity. The kid is 22 years old, right? He’s going to make mistakes. He’s willing to learn. I don’t think anybody questions that.”

Their different situations will make comparisons difficult, though compelling.

“Let M.J. be M.J. and let the kid be the kid,” Ron Harper said. “M.J. paved the way for him, no question. But the kid’s game has evolved into an all-around game. If he keeps on putting on shows like he has lately, who knows how good he’ll be?”