Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has unleashed a new set of challenges to a couple of prominent NBA stars in what has been coined as 2019's edition of the Mamba Mentality Challenge.
A couple of years back, Bryant set his sights on the likes of John Wall and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the inaugural edition of his personal challenges, and this time around, he has called out Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George:
Kobe gives out the 2019 Mamba Mentality Challenge pic.twitter.com/SiigC2EKZe
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 21, 2019
Jokic has been on an absolute tear this season, averaging a career-best 20.3 points (on 50.9 percent shooting), 10.7 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks. The All-Star big man has also led the Nuggets to the second-best record in the West, behind only the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The 23-year-old has already forced his way into this season's MVP conversation, and it wouldn't be surprising if he ends up having an even better outing next year.
As for George, not only is he a candidate for this season's MVP award, but he is also leading the league in the steals department with 2.2 takeaways per ballgame while also averaging 0.5 blocks. He's one of the top one-on-one defenders in the league today and is a three-time All-Defensive team member, so in this respect, the Defensive Player of the Year award would be a logical next step.
Bryant is one of the most respected figures in the world of basketball, and people usually listen when he speaks. Hopefully, Jokic and George heed his call, as the goals Kobe has set out for them are absolutely attainable.
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