Paul George: 'Kobe was my Jordan'

Just like Michael Jordan was many basketball-loving kids' idol in the 90s, Kobe Bryant served as an inspiration to the 2000s generation.

One of those kids was now-25-year-old Paul George, who grew up watching and later imitating The Black Mamba's famous moves.

"Kobe was my Jordan," George told Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star after his Indiana Pacers beat Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers 107-103 on Sunday. "Watching him win championships, I remember being at home just watching the games with my mom, my grandma and my dad and just idolizing him."

"I’m not saying he's better than Jordan," George added, "but to me growing up, that's who I idolized."

On the night he announced his retirement, Bryant sadly proved once again to be a shadow of what he once was, shooting 4-of-20 from the field and finishing with 13 points,

However, knowing this could be the last time he would play against his basketball idol at the Staples Center served as motivation for George, who stole the show by scoring a game-high 39 points,.

"He's still Kobe Bryant regardless of how he shot the ball tonight. In my eyes, he's still one of the greatest players to play this game," George said. "It was just about cherishing this moment, period. I was thinking this could be my last matchup against him in L.A … So I just knew off the bat to cherish this last moment."