Wiggins on Kobe's 'reflection' comment: 'An honor and motivation'

While all of the attention was on Kobe Bryant on Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers superstar passed Michael Jordan for third on the NBA's all-time scoring list, Bryant was willing to direct some of the spotlight onto another player.

Following the game, Bryant paid Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins a compliment that, by Bryant's standards, surely stands as the highest of all compliments.

"Like looking at a reflection of myself 19 years ago," Bryant said of Wiggins.

Considering Bryant has won an MVP award, five NBA championships and now stands as the third-most prolific scorer in league history, that's heady praise. The gravity of Bryant saying as much was not lost on Wiggins.

"It's an honor and motivation to my ears," Wiggins said Monday. "It makes me work even harder to become something like him."

Obviously, Wiggins has a very long way to go. He's still just 19 years old and in his rookie season, an age at which Bryant was beginning to come into his own as a sophomore. Statistically, the two players at age 19 aren't entirely dissimilar, though Bryant was a step ahead.

Bryant is on record as having used Jordan before him as a muse and inspiration. They overlapped a little more than Bryant and Wiggins likely will, but it's not difficult to envision Wiggins reflecting on the impact Bryant had on him 15 years down the line. If all goes well, that is.