Kobe Bryant gave Los Angeles Lakers’ rookie Kyle Kuzma the ultimate co-sign after his game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Kuzma had a great night scoring 38 points total with a 12-for-17 shot from the field, and hitting 7 out of attempted 10 three-pointers. He also had 7 rebounds and 4 assists giving him stats that match up to Lakers’ legends like Magic Johnson. The feat also made him the first rookie to put up that many points, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers since Jason Kidd in 1995, according to ESPN.

However, Kuzma remained hungry in a post-game interview despite all of the praise. This is something Kobe Bryant admired since it mirrored his attitude towards the game of basketball during the height of his career. When asked about scoring 38 points Kuzma responded by stating: “Why not? I scored 30s in summer league. I’ve got the same mentality every time I step on the court. I try to play my hardest and just be locked in.”

He was asked by another reporter if he expected to play this good so quickly and he said: “yeah, no problem.” The answer caught the attention of Bryant who reposted Kuzma’s interview on Twitter. Bryant exhibited some of the same behavior back in his prime.

Source: complex.com