LOS ANGELES – As a Lakers teammate of Kobe Bryant for nine seasons, Warriors interim coach Luke Walton has a rare perspective on one of the NBA’s all-time greats.
As someone who has spent the past 18 months coaching Steph Curry, Walton also has an up-close view of the Warriors star.
It’s enough for Walton to see some distinct similarities between the two.
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“Absolulutely,” he said after shootaround Thursday morning at Staples Center. “Guys that are that good, that are still hungry and work that hard . . . you see Steph (at the gym) any day after practice getting his routine in and getting his shots up, completely focused.
“Kobe was the same way.”
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Bryant has been a member of five championship teams, one fewer than Michael Jordan but four more than Curry.
Golden State Warriors
Curry, however, at least lately, is on a vastly superior team to the Lakers, who are struggling as Bryant nears the end of his career.
The Warriors are undefeated, but Curry’s approach is the same as it was when he was on bad Warriors teams earlier in his career.
“A lot of people get satisfied when they win,” Walton said. “And that’s not the case with Steph, with Kobe, with the great players in our league.
“But the ones I’ve seen, obviously Steph and Kobe, they work every day as if they’re not 12-0 or they’re not defending champions. So it’s very similar.”