Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder was named the NBA MVP for this season recently, and he led the league in scoring with an average of 32.7 points a game during the regular season. He has continued his outstanding play during the playoffs, and he’s now playing for his first world championship.

His Thunder trail the Indiana Pacers 1-0 in the NBA Finals after blowing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead in Game 1. But he still produced 38 points in Game 1 to help his team’s cause.

Like plenty of players in recent years, Gilgeous-Alexander looks up to late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. He told the media that Bryant is probably his favorite player ever, and that he hopes to approach Bryant’s level of greatness.

“That’s probably my favorite player of all time,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I never got the chance to meet him… but not only me, for kids all across the world, his influence has gone through the roof and his legacy will be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player that he was. Hopefully I’m somewhere close to that as a basketball player one day. But he was a special talent, special person, and God rest his soul.”

Bryant, of course, drove the Lakers to five NBA championships and won two finals MVPs during his 20-year career. He is considered arguably the greatest closer in league history, and he produced numerous memorable moments in crunch time, especially in big games.

Oklahoma City will need a few memorable moments like that from Gilgeous-Alexander if it is to bring home its first championship since 1979 when the franchise was known as the Seattle SuperSonics.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talks about his admiration for Kobe Bryant